Mary, Queen of Scots
mid-18th century
Medium
Etching and engraving; sixth state of six
Dimensions
Plate: 3 7/8 × 3 7/8 in. (9.9 × 9.8 cm) Sheet: 8 1/16 × 5 1/16 in. (20.4 × 12.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1958
Accession Number
58.549.47
Tags
Art Historical Context
This mid-18th-century etching and engraving by Robert Strange presents a dignified portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots, capturing her as both monarch and enduring historical figure. Created long after her lifetime, the print reflects the period’s renewed interest in Stuart royalty and the romanticized view of Mary’s dramatic story. As the sixth and final state of the plate, it demonstrates the careful refinements engravers made to achieve greater detail and tonal depth. The compact plate size invites close inspection, revealing the fine lines and cross-hatching characteristic of combined etching...