James I, Anne of Denmark, and Prince Charles

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *James I, Anne of Denmark, and Prince Charles*, captures the Stuart royal family in intimate profile by Dutch artist Simon de Passe. Created as a print pulled from a silver medal engraved by the artist himself, it exemplifies the miniaturist precision of early 17th-century portraiture. Measuring just 6 × 4.8 cm, the plate's small scale highlights de Passe's mastery of fine lines and intricate detailing, techniques honed in the Northern Renaissance tradition of reproductive prints. Dating to the late 16th or early 17th century (within the 1551–1600 range noted), the work immortalizes King James I of England, his queen consort Anne of Denmark, and their young son, the future Charles I. Such medals and their engravings served as portable emblems of royal authority, circulating likenesses among courtiers and collectors to foster loyalty and prestige during James's reign. De Passe, who worked in England, was renowned for these cameo-style portraits, blending medal-making artistry with the print medium's power to multiply images. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection (Department CG-E), this piece underscores the cultural role of prints in disseminating monarchy's image, bridging sculpture and paper for widespread admiration. A charming window into Jacobean splendor!

About the Artist

Simon de Passe · 1590–1647

Simon de Passe (c. 1595–1647), born in Cologne to the renowned Dutch engraver and publisher Crispijn van de Passe the Elder and his wife Magdalene, grew up in a family dynasty of printmakers who had fled Antwerp due to religious persecution as Anabaptists. The second son among five siblings—four of whom became engravers, including brothers Crispijn II and Willem, and sister Magdalena—he trained un...