Queen Elizabeth I of England
late 16th–early 17th century
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 6 7/8 x 5 in. (17.5 x 12.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1917
Accession Number
17.3.756–1618
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving of Queen Elizabeth I captures the monarch in a formal, regal pose typical of her official portraits from the late Elizabethan era. Created in the late 16th to early 17th century by engraver Frans Huys and associated with publisher Paul de la Houve, the work uses fine line work to render the queen’s elaborate attire, including her characteristic ruff collar and jeweled adornments. A coat of arms prominently displayed beside her reinforces her royal authority and lineage. Engravings like this played a vital role in shaping Elizabeth’s public image across Europe. Unlike unique pai...