Marguerite of Valois, Queen of Navarre, 1577
Watercolor and gouache on vellum
Dated in gold, Ano Dni. 1577
Oval, 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm) high
Marguerite of Valois, Queen of Navarre, was one of the most celebrated noble ladies in France. Nicholas Hilliard has included every fold of lace, tiny gemstone, and gold thread to give a sense of the immense value of her garments. This was important in a society where the measure of a person was the extravagance and expense of his or her wardrobe.
Provenance
C. H. T. Hawkins, Bignor Park; Christie's, London, May 16, 1904, lot 1050 (as Madame de Jourdis [?]); with Joseph Duveen; bought by J. Pierpont Morgan, New York; Christie's, London, June 24, 1935, lot 101 (as Mademoiselle de Sourdis); bought by Dr. Beets; Frderick Muller, Amsterdam; Dr. Anton F. Philips; Christie's, London, October 21, 1997, lot 28
Bibliography
Literature: G. C Williamson, Catalogue of the Collection of Miniatures, the property of J. Pierpont Morgan, London, 1906, Vol. I, pp. 25-26, 31-32, no. 23, pl. XVI, no. 2 (as Mademoiselle de Sourdis); G. C. Williamson, "Mr. Pierpont Morgan's Pictures, The Early Miniatures, I," The Connoisseur, December 1906, Vol. XVI, pp. 205, 207, no. XI, repr. (as Mademoiselle de Sourdis); E. Auerbach, Nicholas Hilliard, London, 1961, p. 293. no. 34 (as Mademoiselle de Sourdis); R. Strong, The English Renaissance Miniature, London, 1983, pp. 77, pp. 79, 201, fig. 87
Exhibited: Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Artists of the Tudor Court, 1938, no. 74, p. 70, illus.
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