Reverse copy of Maria Scotorv Regin et Franciae Dotaria

Art Historical Context

This intriguing etching and engraving, titled *Reverse Copy of Maria Scotorum Reginæ et Franciae Dotariæ*, pays homage to Mary Queen of Scots (1542–1587), the enigmatic Scottish monarch whose life blended royal splendor with tragedy. Created in the mid-to-l 18th century byavers George Vertue—a prolific English antiquary known for documenting historical portraits—and Charles Mosley, it reproduces an earlier image of Mary, depicted with her coat of arms and symbolic skulls, evoking memento mori themes of mortality that resonated in Tudor-era art. The "reverse copy" likely refers to the mirrored orientation typical of printmaking from engraved plates, allowing for faithful reproduction. Measuring 11 3/4 × 8 1/16 inches, this print from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department captures Mary's regal poise amid emblems of her dual heritage as Queen of Scots and Dowager Queen of France, following her brief marriage to Francis II. Such portraits proliferated in the 18th century amid Romantic fascination with her story—imprisonment, plots, and execution by Elizabeth I—serving as both historical record and cultural icon. Donated in 1958 by Susan Dwight Bliss, it exemplifies how etching and engraving techniques preserved elusive royal imagery for posterity, blending technical precision with poignant symbolism.