Mary, Queen of Scots (from "Historia Belgica nostri potissimum temporis, Belgii sub quatuor Burgundis et totidem Austriacis Principibus conjunctionem et gubernationem breviter," page 410)

About this artwork

Mary, Queen of Scots (from "Historia Belgica nostri potissimum temporis, Belgii sub quatuor Burgundis et totidem Austriacis Principibus conjunctionem et gubernationem breviter," page 410) by Mary, Queen of Scots|Emanuel van Meteren, ca. 1600. Created in Etching, this work exemplifies the artistic practices and cultural values of its period. The piece reflects the technical skills and aesthetic sensibilities characteristic of its historical and cultural context. As part of the Drawings and Prints...

Art Historical Context

This etching portrays Mary, Queen of Scots a pivotal figure in 16th-century European history as featured on page 410 of Emanuel vanen's *Historia Belgica potissimum temporis a comprehensive chronicle of the Low Countries under Burgundian and Habsburg rule, published around 1600. Van Meteren, a Flemish historian and merchant, documented key events and figures of his era, making this print both a biographical illustration and a historical artifact. Created over a decade after Mary's execution in 1587 it captures her enduring legacy as a Catholic monarch entangled in Protestant England's throne disputes, her marriages, and infamous intrigues. As an etching—a pioneering intaglio printmaking technique involving acid-etched metal plates—this modest 8¼ × 8-inch sheet exemplifies early 17th-century reproductive print culture. Etchings allowed for detailed, reproducible portraits disseminated through books, democratizing access to royal imagery and blending art with historiography. Likely based on earlier likenesses, it reflects the period's fascination with powerful women rulers, evident in its classification as a portrait print. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints collection (gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1958), this work bridges portraiture and documentation, offering visitors a window into Renaissance-era visual storytelling and the cultural reverence for Mary's tragic saga.