Anne Boleyn
published 1681
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
plate: 24.3 × 15 cm (9 9/16 × 5 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.819
Art Historical Context
This delicate engraving of *Anne Boleyn*, created the skilled English engraver Robert White published in 1681 captures the infamous second wife of King Henry VIII over a century after her dramatic execution in 1536 White, a master of portrait prints during the late 17th century, drew from earlier sources to evoke Boleyn's poised elegance—her signature French hood and pearl necklace symbolizing the Tudor court's opulent fashion. At just 24.3 × 15 cm, the plate size made it ideal for intimate display in homes or collections, reflecting a growing public fascination with Tudor history amid England...
About the Artist
Robert White · 1645–1703
Robert White was a British engraver and draughtsman born in London in 1645, who became one of the most accomplished portrait engravers working in England during the latter decades of the seventeenth century. He trained under David Loggan, the Polish-born engraver who was among the dominant figures of portrait printmaking in Restoration England, and from Loggan he acquired both the technical master...