Frances Stuart, Countess of Portland
Original title: Frances Stuart, Countess of Portland
kurzbeschreibung
Frances Stuart, Countess of Portland, is shown in a bust portrait. Wenceslaus Hollar etched this likeness in 1650; the present impression is the first of three states (New Hollstein). The sitter appears in a dress with a fur collar and a pearl necklace.
Description
The woman faces forward, arms crossed over her chest in a formal pose. A dress with a striking fur collar and a pearl necklace around her neck define her appearance. Long, curly hair and earrings are clearly visible. Behind her, curtains suggest an interior. Below the portrait, a Latin text identifies the sitter.
Context
Wenceslaus Hollar, a Bohemian etcher, was valued for his precise portraits and topographies. Frances Stuart was married to James Stuart, 1st Duke of Richmond and 4th Duke of Lennox, and served as a lady-in-waiting at the English court. The image dates from Hollar's English period, when he worked for the aristocracy. It belongs to a series of portraits the artist made on commission for noble families.
Impact
Fine lines and hatching give the portrait a detailed yet elegant appearance. The formal pose and direct gaze of the sitter create a dignified, distant aura typical of 17th-century portraiture.
Technique
Hollar produced an etching: the drawing was scratched into a wax layer on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. The fine lines and hatching visible in the image analysis attest to his virtuoso technique. The present impression is a first state and thus one of the earliest prints from this plate.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)