The Collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, is renowned for its portraits from the Tudor and Jacobean eras. This book presents portraits of key individuals from this period, from the monarchs and members of the ruling elite to the writers, artists and artisans that characterized the literary and artistic flourishing of the 16th and 17th centuries. Each portrait is accompanied by an exploration of how the portraits were created and their contribution to our understanding of this fascinating period. Among the painters featured are Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Eworth, John de Critz the Elder, Robert Peake the Elder, Anthonis Mor, George Gower, Renold Elstrack, Simon de Passe, William Larkin, Rowland Lockey, Paul van Somer, Daniel Mytens, Master John, Gerlach Flicke and Nicholas Hilliard.
An introductory essay provides important historical context, and the 90 works selected from the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and National Trust are accompanied by extended captions exploring the sitter and artist’s significance to the period and technical information about the portrait. The publication features sections on Tudor monarchs, the Stuarts, courtiers, the family in portraiture and iconography.