Price: $150.00
SKU: 103702
ARTIST: William Faithorne
MEDIUM: Engraving,
DATE: c.1660.
EDITION SIZE: Image size 3 3/8 x 2 3/4"
DESCRIPTION: The present portrait depicts Henrietta Maria of France (1609–1669), the French-born queen consort of Charles I of England, rendered in a refined engraving by the English printmaker William Faithorne, executed c.1660. Faithorne, one of the most accomplished portrait engravers active in England during the mid-seventeenth century, was particularly renowned for his sensitive translation of painted likenesses into the linear language of the burin.<BR><BR> The portrait presents Henrietta Maria in dignified widowhood following the execution of Charles I in 1649 during the upheavals of the English Civil War. Her composed bearing and restrained costume underscore the solemnity appropriate to her status as the dowager queen. Faithorne’s engraving technique—characterized by finely modulated lines, delicate cross-hatching, and careful attention to facial modeling—creates a sense of depth and softness, successfully conveying both the queen’s likeness and the textures of fabric and hair. The oval portrait format, frequently employed in seventeenth-century English portrait prints, frames the sitter with a sense of classical balance and authority.<BR><BR> The date of approximately 1660 situates the engraving at the moment of political restoration following the collapse of the Commonwealth government and the accession of Henrietta Maria’s son, Charles II of England. Portraits of the queen circulated widely during this period, serving both commemorative and political functions by reinforcing the legitimacy and continuity of the Stuart dynasty. Faithorne’s engraving thus participates in the broader visual culture surrounding the Restoration of the English monarchy, when images of the royal family regained prominence in English print publishing.
ADDITIONAL INFO:
CONDITION: Good condition.
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