Portrait of James I of England and James VI of Scotland

Adrian Vanson (died c. 1602) was court portrait painter to

James VI of Scotland James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

Family and artistic background

Adrian was probably born in

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

, the son of Willem Claesswen van Son by Kathelijn Adriaen Matheus de Blauwverversdochter. His uncle or cousin Peter Mattheus or Matteusen was a painter in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Peter Matheeusen in his 1588 will left his cousin Adrian Vanson, named as "Adryan van Zont", portraits of his parents, Jacob and Agnes, and of himself, with a book ''The Arte concerning Lymning''. Amongst the other bequests, Matheussen left money to the miniaturist

Isaac Oliver Isaac Oliver (c. 1565 – bur. 2 October 1617) or Olivier was an English portrait miniature painter.Baskett, John. ''Paul Mellon's legacy: a passion for British art'' (Yale University Press, 2007) pp. 240-1. Life and work Born in Rouen, he ...

and the painter

Rowland Lockey Rowland Lockey (c. 1565–1616) was an English painter and goldsmith, and was the son of Leonard Lockey,Lewis, p. 8-9 a crossbow maker of the parish of St Bride's, Fleet Street, London. Lockey was apprenticed to Queen Elizabeth's miniaturist ...

, best known as a copyist working for

Bess of Hardwick Elizabeth Cavendish, later Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury ( Hardwick; c. 1527 13 February 1608), known as Bess of Hardwick, of Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, was a notable figure of Elizabethan English society. By a series of well-made ...

and her son the

Earl of Devonshire The title of Earl of Devonshire has been created twice in the Peerage of England, firstly in 1603 for the Blount family and then recreated in 1618 for the Cavendish family, in whose possession the earldom remains. It is not to be confused with, ...

. In Edinburgh he signed his name "Adrian Van Son". His relative or brother Abraham Vanson was in Edinburgh working as a goldsmith, and married Jonet Gilbert, a niece of the wealthy goldsmith and financier

Michael Gilbert Michael Francis Gilbert (17 July 1912 – 8 February 2006) was an English solicitor and author of crime fiction. Early life and education Gilbert was born on 17 July 1912 in Billinghay, Lincolnshire, England to Bernard Samuel Gilbert, a wri ...

Portrait of Sir John Maitland, 1st Lord Maitland of Thirlestane, attributed to Adrian Vanson

Career in Scotland

Adrian's first recorded works for James VI in Scotland were two pictures to be sent to

Theodore Beza Theodore Beza ( la, Theodorus Beza; french: Théodore de Bèze or ''de Besze''; June 24, 1519 – October 13, 1605) was a French Calvinist Protestant theologian, reformer and scholar who played an important role in the Protestant Reformation ...

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situa ...

, for which he was paid £8-10s in June 1581. These portraits of

John Knox John Knox ( gd, Iain Cnocc) (born – 24 November 1572) was a Scottish minister, Reformed theologian, and writer who was a leader of the country's Reformation. He was the founder of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. Born in Giffordgat ...

and

George Buchanan George Buchanan ( gd, Seòras Bochanan; February 1506 – 28 September 1582) was a Scottish historian and humanist scholar. According to historian Keith Brown, Buchanan was "the most profound intellectual sixteenth century Scotland produced." ...

had been sent to

in November 1579 for inclusion as woodcuts in

's ''Icones'' (1580), but arrived too late for the book. The woodcuts of Knox and James VI published in

Simon Goulart Simon Goulart (20 October 1543 – 3 February 1628) was a French Reformed theologian, humanist and poet. Life He was born at Senlis in northern France. He first studied law, then adopted the Reformed faith and became one of the pastors at Genev ...

's 1581 edition of the ''Icones'' are thought to follow Vanson's portraits. Another woodcut image of George Buchanan, not used in the ''Icones'', but appearing in other works, has been attributed to

Arnold Bronckorst Arnold Bronckhorst, or Bronckorst or Van Bronckhorst ( 1565–1583) was a Flemish or Dutch painter who was court painter to James VI of Scotland.Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

, wrote to the French ambassador Michel de Castelnau in

cipher In cryptography, a cipher (or cypher) is an algorithm for performing encryption or decryption—a series of well-defined steps that can be followed as a procedure. An alternative, less common term is ''encipherment''. To encipher or encode ...

code about a new type of portrait of James VI that he had sent her, presumably differing from the pictures made by Arnold Bronckorst. He may have been ' Lord Seton's painter', who was recorded drawing portraits for coins at the mint in Edinburgh in 1582, to be used by

Thomas Foulis Thomas Foulis ( fl. 1580–1628) was a Scottish goldsmith, mine entrepreneur, and royal financier. Thomas Foulis was an Edinburgh goldsmith and financier, and was involved in the mint and coinage, gold and lead mining, and from May 1591 the receip ...

. Lord Seton had served as a diplomat and had various European contacts, and his third son John Seton of

Barns A barn is an agricultural building usually on farms and used for various purposes. In North America, a barn refers to structures that house livestock, including cattle and horses, as well as equipment and fodder, and often grain.Allen G ...

had joined the household of the

Earl of Leicester Earl of Leicester is a title that has been created seven times. The first title was granted during the 12th century in the Peerage of England. The current title is in the Peerage of the United Kingdom and was created in 1837. Early creatio ...

in England 1575. Vanson also painted heraldry on banners for the king's trumpeters, and ceremonial spears and banners and painted the Danish royal arms on banners for the coronation of

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I; as such, she was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and Eng ...

. Adrian Vanson succeeded Arnold Bronckhorst as "King's painter" in Scotland in May 1584. His appointment and yearly fee of £100 was confirmed by privy seal letter on 20 August 1584. When he was made a burgess of

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in December 1585, it was hoped he would teach his craft to apprentices. No records of apprentices, or a workshop have been found. Vanson did not join the Edinburgh craft of Mason and Wrights, which welcomed painter-glaziers. Attributed portraits include James VI;

; Patrick Lyon, Lord Glamis; Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean;

Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll (1574 – 3 May 1607) was a Scottish noblewoman and the first wife of Archibald Campbell, 7th Earl of Argyll. She was the mother of three of his children, including his heir, Archibald Campbell, 1st Marquess of A ...

. Vanson's ''James VI'' of circa 1585 survives at

Edinburgh castle Edinburgh Castle is a historic castle in Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland. It stands on Castle Rock (Edinburgh), Castle Rock, which has been occupied by humans since at least the Iron Age, although the nature of the early settlement is unclear. ...

. Some pictures are known through later copies or imitations, including a portrait of James Anstruther originally painted in 1591. In May 1586 a French ambassador in Scotland, the Baron d'Esneval, promised to get

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

a copy of a recent portrait of James VI from the only painter in Edinburgh, presumably meaning Vanson. There had been rumours of an embassy to Denmark to discuss the king's marriage in April 1586. It is thought the picture at Edinburgh Castle was made by Vanson for this embassy or a similar purpose. A portrait of John Maitland of Thirlestane by Vanson at

Ham House Ham House is a 17th-century house set in formal gardens on the bank of the River Thames in Ham, south of Richmond in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The original house was completed in 1610 by Thomas Vavasour, an Elizabethan cou ...

was valued at £2 in 1683. Examination by Caroline Rae in 2016 showed that it was painted over an image of

. Portraits of

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

were given to ambassadors at his christening in August 1594. James VI had gold medals with his and Anna of Denmark's portraits made, which he gave to the ambassadors at the baptism in September 1594. The medals presumably followed patterns by Vanson, and James VI gave one to Vanson worth 20 gold crowns on 3 October. The courtier Magdalen Livingstone owned a locket with a portrait of Anne of Denmark "raised" in gold. In England James commissioned medallions with his portrait from the artist

Nicholas Hilliard Nicholas Hilliard () was an English goldsmith and limner best known for his portrait miniatures of members of the courts of Elizabeth I and James I of England. He mostly painted small oval miniatures, but also some larger cabinet miniatures, ...

Christian IV of Denmark Christian IV (12 April 1577 – 28 February 1648) was King of Denmark and Norway and Duke of Holstein and Schleswig from 1588 until his death in 1648. His reign of 59 years, 330 days is the longest of Danish monarchs and Scandinavian mona ...

requested full length portraits of James VI and Anne of Denmark to add to a series of pictures of his relatives in October 1597. It is not known if this request was granted. The execution of Archibald Cornwall in April 1601 for attaching royal portraits to the gallows suggests that pictures of the king and

were common household objects in Edinburgh. Miniature portraits were also made in Edinburgh, the stock of a goldsmith, the younger John Mosman, in 1593 included a "tablet" or locket with the portraits of James VI and Anne of Denmark worth £57 Scots. In December 1601 Vanson was paid £20 Scots for a portrait of Anne of Denmark. Around the same time the goldsmith

George Heriot George Heriot (15 June 1563 – 12 February 1624) was a Scottish goldsmith and philanthropist. He is chiefly remembered today as the founder of George Heriot's School, a large independent school in Edinburgh; his name has also been given to H ...

made a chain with a miniature portrait of James as a diplomatic gift for an ambassador from the

Duke of Mecklenburg This list of dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg dates from the origins of the German princely state of Mecklenburg's royal house in the High Middle Ages to the monarchy's abolition at the end of World War I. Strictly speaking, Mecklenburg's p ...

, the queen's uncle. Although Vanson was still active, the

Duke of Lennox The title Duke of Lennox has been created several times in the peerage of Scotland, for Clan Stewart of Darnley. The dukedom, named for the district of Lennox in Dumbarton, was first created in 1581, and had formerly been the Earldom of Lenno ...

later claimed that he had not been able to find a portrait painter in Scotland to send pictures of the royal family to the Venetian ambassador. In 1604 Vanson worked with other painters on a triumphal arch for the king's ceremonial entry to London, commissioned by the Dutch community. The date of his death is unknown. After Adrian Vanson's death, in 1610 and 1616 his widow Susanna petitioned the king for outstanding payments.

Marriage, family, and the Flemish community

Adrian Vanson married Susanna de Colonia at

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after ...

on 31 March 1577. She became an active business woman in Edinburgh. Her brother was the portrait painter Adam de Colone. Their father Louis Jansz. Colonia was a saddle maker. Their children included: * Adrian Vanson, who was christened on 19 October 1595, the witnesses were the Flemish ambassador Adrian Damman de Bystervelt and Adrian Bowdowingis, a clockmaker. On 26 October 1600 Adrian Bowdowingis christened his son Adrian, and Adrian Damman and Adrian Vanson were witnesses. * Susanna Vanson, * James Vanson * Frederick Vanson Vanson acted with the Flemish ambassador Adrian Damman in two shipping cases in May 1594. The first involved Hendrick Michelsoun, a skipper from

Middelburg, Zeeland Middelburg () is a city and municipality in the south-western Netherlands serving as the capital of the province of Zeeland. Situated on the central peninsula of the Zeeland province, ''Midden-Zeeland'' (consisting of former islands Walcheren, No ...

, who was imprisoned in the Tolbooth of Edinburgh. Vanson and Damman gave a bond of £1000 Scots to release him into house arrest with Vanson. In the second case, they put up a bond of £2000, "making caution", for Peter Herimansoun and Peter Mattiesoun, two sailors who arrived in a ship at Montrose, which had been impounded and taken at Leith. The sailors were to remain in Edinburgh, Canongate, or Leith until the issue (not specified) was settled.David Masson, ''Register of the Privy Council of Scotland, 1592-1599'', vol. 5 (Edinburgh, 1892), p. 622.

External links

Adrian Vanson at the National Galleries of Scotland

''James VI'' by Adrian Vanson, at Edinburgh Castle, (Historic Scotland)

* [https://nationalheritagescienceforum.wordpress.com/2017/03/16/all-that-glitters-is-not-gold-technical-examination-of-jewellery-and-gold-brocade-in-a-royal-portrait-attributed-to-adrian-vanson/ Caroline Rae, 'All that glitters is not gold', technical examination of a 1595 portrait of James VI]
Identity and authenticity: a newly discovered contemporary portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots

'Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots Discovered Under Painting by Adrian Vanson', CODART

Information on the Edinburgh Castle Vanson from Philip Mould Ltd

''Margaret Graham'' by Adam de Colone, National Galleries of Scotland

''James Erskine, 6th earl of Buchan'' by Adam de Colone, National Galleries of Scotland
*

Footnotes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vanson, Adrian 16th-century Flemish painters Year of birth unknown Scottish portrait painters Flemish portrait painters 16th-century Scottish painters Scottish male painters Renaissance artists Year of death unknown Court painters Court of James VI and I