Mary, Queen of Scots

Art Historical Context

This delicate engraving, titled *Mary, Queen of* and dated January 1, 1788, captures the Tudor monarch in a poised portrait that evokes her enduring mystique. Produced as a sheet measuring just 7 11/16 × 4 9/16 inches, belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's and Prints collection, gifted by Susan Dwight Bliss in 1958. The work credits a fascinating lineage: an original by Italian Mannerist painter Federico Zucc (Zuccari), interpreted through the engraving mastery of John Keyse Sherwin, and published by Thomas Cadell the Elder. Mary's own name in the attribution hints at her personal involvement, perhaps through embroidery patterns or sittings that inspired such images. Engraving, a precise intaglio technique where lines are incised into a metal plate and inked for transfer to paper, allowed for intricate details in reproducing royal likenesses. This 18th-century print reflects a Georgian-era fascination with Mary's dramatic life—from her French upbringing and Scottish reign to her imprisonment and execution in 1587 amid rivalries with Elizabeth I. As a symbol of Catholic queenship and romantic tragedy, she inspired countless portraits, making this accessible format a bridge between Renaissance originals and Enlightenment audiences. Today, it stands as a testament to how prints democratized elite history, inviting visitors to ponder a queen whose story blended power, intrigue, and pathos.