John Whitgift, D.D., Archbishop of Canterbury
published 1699
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 16 × 9.6 cm (6 5/16 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.860
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving portrays John Whitgift (c. 1530–1604), a pivotal figure in Elizabethan England as Archbishop of Canterbury from 158 until his death. Serving under Queen Elizabeth I, Whitgift was a staunch defender of the Church of England's authority, navigating religious tensions during the Reformation and suppressing Puritan dissent through measures like the Lambeth Articles. Published in 1699—nearly a century after his tenure—this print reflects enduring reverence for his legacy in shaping Anglican doctrine amid political and theological strife. Created by Robert White, a leading En...
About the Artist
Robert White · 1645–1703
Robert White was a British engraver and draughtsman born in London in 1645, who became one of the most accomplished portrait engravers working in England during the latter decades of the seventeenth century. He trained under David Loggan, the Polish-born engraver who was among the dominant figures of portrait printmaking in Restoration England, and from Loggan he acquired both the technical master...