E. Cooper and Francis Kyte after Nicholas Hilliard

Queen Elizabeth
Born at Greenwich Sep 7 153. Crownd Nov the 17 1558. Died March the 24 1602/3 Aged 70 F. Kyte Fecit

13 x 15.5 inches

An oval, half-length, mezzotint portrait of Queen Elizabeth I engraved by Francis Kyte after the earlier engraving by Cooper and after the portrait by the court painter Francis Hilliard; published in London circa 1730.

Although not contemporary, this early portrait of the queen is interesting, nonetheless. It pictures a young and confident monarch bejewelled with pearls and set in an oval frame.

Hilliard (1547-1619) was the first native born artist of the English School to have left a documented trail behind him. He is best remembered for his exquisite portraits in miniature and particularly those of the courtiers of Queen Elizabethan. This enchanting study of the queen is both a valuable historic reference and a delightful print.

Francis Kyte flourished as a mezzotint engraver in London in the early to mid C18th until he was caught forging coins; a misdemeanour that led to his rapid fall from grace.