Mariae, D.G. Angliae, Franciae et Hiberniam Reginae (Mary I)

Art Historical Context

This engraving by Francis Delaram presents a formal portrait of Mary I, identified in the Latin inscription as Queen of England, France, and Ireland. Created between 1551 and 1600, the print captures the likeness of England’s first reigning queen, whose brief but consequential reign helped shape the religious and political landscape of the Tudor era. The modest sheet size—roughly 8 by 5 inches—suggests it was designed for wide circulation, allowing viewers across social classes to encounter the monarch’s image. As an engraving, the work exemplifies the reproductive power of printmaking in the sixteenth century. Delaram’s precise line work and careful attention to costume and regalia convey authority and dignity while exploiting the medium’s ability to produce multiple impressions. Such portraits served both as official records and as tools of political communication, helping to project the queen’s legitimacy at a time when female rule remained novel. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s Rosenwald Collection, this impression offers today’s visitors a tangible link to early modern royal imagery and the emerging culture of printed portraiture.

About the Artist

Francis Delaram · 1590–1627

Francis Delaram (c. 1590–1627) was a prolific English engraver active in London during the early Jacobean era, producing several hundred plates that captured the likenesses of monarchs, nobles, and scholars. Flourishing from around 1615, he specialized in line engravings for portraits, title pages, and book illustrations, often working after prominent painters. His output contributed significantly...