Queen Elizabeth
1601 to 1650
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 9.7 × 6.9 cm (3 13/16 × 2 11/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.313
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate engraving *Queen Elizabeth* by John Payne, a modest yet evocative portrait from the early 17th century (ca. 1601–1650). Measuring just 9.7 × 6.9 cm, this intimate print captures the enduring image of Queen Elizabeth I, formidable Tudor monarch who reigned from 1558 to 1603. Payne, an English engraver active during transitional period between the Renaissance and Baroque eras, crafted this work likely as a posthumous tribute, reflecting the queen's iconic status even after her death. Engraving, the medium here, was a revolutionary printmaking technique: artists incised fine ...
About the Artist
John Payne
John Payne is an artist whose biographical details remain difficult to establish with certainty, partly because the name is common and several artists of that name were active in different periods and countries. The works attributed to this John Payne suggest engagement with printmaking or illustration traditions, but without confirmed dates, nationality, or documented training, a precise account ...