Marcus Gheeraerts (also written as Gerards or Geerards; 1561/62 – 19 January 1636) was a Flemish artist working at the Tudor court, described as "the most important artist of quality to work in England in large-scale between Eworth and

van Dyck Sir Anthony van Dyck (; ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy. The seventh child of Frans van Dyck, a wealt ...

".Strong 1969, p. 22 He was brought to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

as a child by his father

Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder, Marc Gerard and Marcus Garret (c. 1520 – c. 1590) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman, print designer and etcher who was active in his native Flanders and in England. He practised in many genres, including portrait ...

, also a

painter Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

. He became a fashionable portraitist in the last decade of the reign of

Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudo ...

under the patronage of her champion and pageant-master Sir Henry Lee. He introduced a new aesthetic in English court painting that captured the essence of a sitter through close observation. He became a favorite portraitist of

James I James I may refer to: People *James I of Aragon (1208–1276) * James I of Sicily or James II of Aragon (1267–1327) * James I, Count of La Marche (1319–1362), Count of Ponthieu * James I, Count of Urgell (1321–1347) *James I of Cyprus (1334� ...

's queen

Anne of Denmark Anne of Denmark (; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and List of English royal consorts, Queen of Engl ...

, but fell out of fashion in the late 1610s.

Family

Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (sometimes known as Mark Garrard) was born in

Bruges Bruges ( , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is in the northwest of the country, and is the sixth most populous city in the country. The area of the whole city amoun ...

, the son of the artist Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder and his wife Johanna. Hardly anything is known of the paintings of the elder Gheeraerts, although his work as a

printmaker Printmaking is the process of creating artworks by printing, normally on paper, but also on fabric, wood, metal, and other surfaces. "Traditional printmaking" normally covers only the process of creating prints using a hand processed technique ...

was renowned in Europe. Like other

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

artists from the

Habsburg Netherlands Habsburg Netherlands were the parts of the Low Countries that were ruled by sovereigns of the Holy Roman Empire's House of Habsburg. This rule began in 1482 and ended for the Northern Netherlands in 1581 and for the Southern Netherlands in 1797. ...

, Gheeraerts the Elder fled to

with his son to escape persecution in his home country during the governership of the

Duke of Alba Duke of Alba de Tormes (), commonly known as Duke of Alba, is a title of Spanish nobility that is accompanied by the dignity of Grandee of Spain. In 1472, the title of ''Count of Alba de Tormes'', inherited by García Álvarez de Toledo, wa ...

. His wife was a Catholic and remained behind and is believed to have died a few years later. Father and son are recorded living with a Dutch servant in the London parish of

St Mary Abchurch St Mary Abchurch is a Church of England church off Cannon Street in the City of London. Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, it is first mentioned in 1198–1199. The medieval church was destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and replac ...

in 1568. On 9 September 1571, the elder Gheeraerts remarried. His new wife was Susanna de Critz, a member of an exiled family from Antwerp.Hearn 2003, pp. 11–14 It is not known by whom young Marcus was trained, although it is likely to have been his father. He was possibly also a pupil of

Lucas de Heere Lucas de Heere or Lucas d'Heere (Ghent, 1534 – possibly Paris, 29 August 1584) was a County of Flanders, Flemish Portrait painting, painter, Watercolor painting, watercolorist, print artist, biographer, playwright, poet and writer.

. Records suggest that Marcus was active as a painter by 1586. In 1590, he married Magdalena, the sister of his stepmother Susanna and of the painter

John de Critz John de Critz or John Decritz (1551/2 – 14 March 1642 (buried)) was one of a number of painters of Flemish origin active at the English royal court during the reigns of James I of England and Charles I of England. He held the post of Serjean ...

. The couple had six children, only two of whom seem to have survived—a son, Marcus III (), also a painter, and a son Henry (1604 – August 1650). His half-sister Sara married the painter

Isaac Oliver Isaac Oliver ( – bur. 2 October 1617) or Olivier was an English portrait miniature painter. Life and work Born in Rouen around 1565, he moved to London in 1568 with his Huguenot parents Peter and Epiphany Oliver to escape the Wars of Reli ...

in 1602.

Career

A new aesthetic

The earliest signed works by Gheeraerts the Younger date from , but

Roy Strong Sir Roy Colin Strong, (born 23 August 1935) is an English art historian, museum curator, writer, broadcaster and landscape designer. He has served as director of both the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. ...

identified a set of portraits of

William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (13 September 15204 August 1598), was an English statesman, the chief adviser of Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign, twice Secretary of State (England), Secretary of State (1550–1553 and ...

dated to around 1586 as likely based on an original by Gheeraerts.Strong 1969, pp. 269–71 Although raised in England, Gheeraerts' work reflects a continental aesthetic very different from the flat modeling of features and pure, brilliant colours associated with Elizabethan artists such as

Nicolas Hilliard Nicholas Hilliard ( – before 7 January 1619) 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 la ...

. "The implications suggest that Oliver and Gheeraerts singly or together visited Antwerp in the late eighties and were influenced by the portrait style of Frans Pourbus." From around 1590, Gheeraerts led a "revolution" in English portraiture.Strong 1993, p. 76 For the first time in English art sitters were rendered in three dimensions, achieving a lifelike impression through tonality and shadow. New too were capturing the character of individual sitters through close observation and the use of sombre colour and greyed flesh tones.Hearn 1995, p. 177 Gheeraerts was one of the first English artists to paint on canvas rather than wood panel, allowing much larger pictures to be produced. He also introduced the full-length figure set out-out-of-doors in a naturalistic landscape for full-scale portraiture, a feature seen in

portrait miniature A portrait miniature is a miniature portrait painting from Renaissance art, usually executed in gouache, Watercolor painting, watercolor, or Vitreous enamel, enamel. Portrait miniatures developed out of the techniques of the miniatures in illumin ...

s of the same era.Hearn 2001, p. 121 The need for assistants to complete the backgrounds and details of the new large canvas paintings, and the numbers of surviving copies and variants of Gheeraerts' works, suggest a studio or workshop staffed with assistants and apprentices. There are similarities of features between Gheeraert's portraits of

Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex (; 10 November 1565 – 25 February 1601) was an English nobleman and a favourite of Queen Elizabeth I. Politically ambitious, he was placed under house arrest following a poor campaign in Ireland during th ...

and miniatures of Essex by Gheeraerts' brother-in-law

, and later between their portraits of

, but it is unknown whether the two artists collaborated or shared patterns for portraits.Hearn 1995, p. 178

Elizabethan success

Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley, who retired as

Queen's Champion The Honourable The King's (or Queen's) Champion is an honorary and hereditary office in the Royal Household of the British sovereign. The champion's original role at the coronation of a British monarch was to challenge anyone who contested the ...

in the autumn of 1590, was the architect of much of the

chivalric Chivalry, or the chivalric language, is an informal and varying code of conduct that developed in Europe between 1170 and 1220. It is associated with the medieval Christian institution of knighthood, with knights being members of various chival ...

pageant Pageant(s) or The Pageant(s) may refer to: Events * Procession or ceremony in elaborate costume * Beauty pageant, or beauty contest * List of pageants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints * Medieval pageant, a narrative medieval pro ...

ry at the court of Elizabeth I. Lee became Gheeraerts' patron around 1590, and Gheeraerts quickly became fashionable in court circles, creating emblematic portraits associated with the elaborate costumed

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

of Lee's

Accession Day tilt The Accession Day tilts were a series of elaborate festivities held annually at the court of Elizabeth I of England to celebrate her Accession Day, 17 November, also known as Queene's Day. The tilts combined theatre, theatrical elements w ...

s. The Queen likely sat to him for the ''Ditchley Portrait'' of her in 1592, which depicted her standing close to "Lee's

Oxfordshire Oxfordshire ( ; abbreviated ''Oxon'') is a ceremonial county in South East England. The county is bordered by Northamptonshire and Warwickshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the east, Berkshire to the south, and Wiltshire and Glouceste ...

estate at

Ditchley Ditchley Park is a country house near Charlbury in Oxfordshire, England. The estate was once the site of a Roman villa. Later it became a royal hunting ground, and then the property of Sir Henry Lee of Ditchley. The 2nd Earl of Lichfield built ...

", and her

favourite A favourite was the intimate companion of a ruler or other important person. In Post-classical Europe, post-classical and Early modern Europe, early-modern Europe, among other times and places, the term was used of individuals delegated signifi ...

employed Gheeraerts from 1596. The royal accounts for 1596–98 also include payments for decorative work by "Marcus Gerarde". Another Gheeraerts portrait of Elizabeth is in the collection of

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...

. The ''Ditchley Portrait'' seems to have always been at Lee's home in Oxfordshire, and was likely painted for (or commemorates) her two-day visit to Ditchley in 1592. In this image, the Queen stands on a map of England, her feet on Oxfordshire. The painting has been trimmed and the background poorly repainted, so that the inscription and sonnet are incomplete. Storms rage behind her while the sun shines before her, and she wears a jewel in the form of a celestial or

armillary sphere An armillary sphere (variations are known as spherical astrolabe, armilla, or armil) is a model of objects in the sky (on the celestial sphere), consisting of a spherical framework of rings, centered on Earth or the Sun, that represent lines o ...

close to her left ear. The new portrait aesthetic did not please the aging queen, and in the many versions of this painting made with the allegorical items removed, likely in Gheeraerts' workshop, Elizabeth's features are "softened" from the stark realism of her face in the original. One of these was sent as a diplomatic gift to

Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Ferdinando I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (30 July 1549 – 17 February 1609) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1587 to 1609, having succeeded his older brother Francesco I, who presumably died from malaria. Early life Ferdinando was the ...

and is now in the

Palazzo Pitti The Palazzo Pitti (), in English sometimes called the Pitti Palace, is a vast, mainly Renaissance, palace in Florence, Italy. It is situated on the south side of the River Arno, a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. The core of the present ...

.Strong 1987, pp. 135–37. Around 1594, Gheeraerts painted a portrait of Lee's cousin Captain Thomas Lee standing in a landscape wearing Irish dress. The iconography of the portrait alludes to Captain Lee's service in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Gheeraerts also painted several portraits of Sir Henry Lee himself, including a full-length portrait in his robes of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...

(1602).Hearn 2003, p. 18 Essex (whose mother Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester was related to Sir Henry Lee) seems to have used Gheeraerts exclusively for large-scale portraits from the mid-1590s. The first of these is the 1596 full-length portrait of Essex at

Woburn Abbey Woburn Abbey (), occupying the east of the village of Woburn, Bedfordshire, England, is a country house, the family seat of the Duke of Bedford. Although it is still a family home to the current duke, it is open on specified days to visitors, ...

, where he stands in a landscape with the burning Spanish city of

Cádiz Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...

in the background. Many half-length and three-quarter-length portraits of Essex with plain backgrounds appear to be studio variants of sittings to Gheeraerts. Like Lee, Essex was an important participant in the Accession Day tilts. Sir Roy Strong wrote of the Ditchley and Woburn Abbey portraits: Gheeraerts' popularity does not seem to have been tainted by the patronage of participants in the

Essex Rebellion Essex's Rebellion was an unsuccessful rebellion led by Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, in February 1601 against Queen Elizabeth I of England and the court faction led by Sir Robert Cecil to gain further influence at court. Background Robert ...

(both Essex and Thomas Lee were executed for treason in 1602).

Jacobean years

Gheeraerts remained at the forefront of fashion in the years immediately following Elizabeth's death in 1603.

's queen,

, employed Gheerearts for large scale paintings and his brother-in-law

for miniatures. In 1611 Gheeraerts was paid for portraits of the King, Queen, and Princess Elizabeth.Hearn 1995, p. 192 A portrait of Anne, likely wearing mourning for her son

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, (19 February 1594 – 6 November 1612), was the eldest son and heir apparent of King James VI and I and Anne of Denmark, Queen Anne. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley; and Fr ...

in the winter of 1612-13 is also attributed to Gheeraerts. His 1611 portrait of Frances Howard, Countess of Hertford in rich attire framed by a draped silk curtain, with a fringed

pelmet A pelmet (also called a "cornice board") is a framework placed above a window, used to conceal curtain fixtures. These can be used decoratively (to hide the curtain rod) and help insulate the window by preventing convection currents. It is sim ...

across the top of the canvas, is the first known instance of a portrait setting that would be used by Hilliard's former apprentice William Larkin in a series of full-length portraits between 1613 and 1618. Overall, Gheeraerts' portraiture in the

Jacobean era The Jacobean era was the period in English and Scotland, Scottish history that coincides with the reign of James VI and I, James VI of Scotland who also inherited the crown of England in 1603 as James I. The Jacobean era succeeds the Elizabeth ...

is characterized by the "quietness, pensiveness, and gentle charm of mood" seen in his portraits of Catherine Killigrew, Lady Jermyn (1614) and Mary Throckmorton, Lady Scudamore (1615). Isaac Oliver died in 1617, and around the same time Gheeraerts' position at court began to decline as the result of competition from a new generation of immigrants. Anne of Denmark died in 1619, and although Gheeraerts was part of her funeral procession as "Queen's Painter", the Netherlander

Paul van Somer Paul van Somer ( 1577 – 1621), also known as Paulus van Somer, was a Flemish artist who arrived in England from Antwerp during the reign of King James I of England and became one of the leading painters of the royal court. He painted a numbe ...

had likely displaced him as her chief portraitist some time before. For the last twenty years of his life Gheeraerts was employed chiefly by the country gentry and by academic sitters. Gheeraerts was a member of the Court of the

Painter-Stainers' Company The Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. An organisation of painters of metals and wood is known to have existed as early as 1283. A similar organisation of stainers, who generally worked on ...

in the 1620s and had an apprentice, Ferdinando Clifton, who was a freeman of the Company in 1627. Gheeraerts died on 19 January 1636.

Gallery

Elizabethan

File:William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley from NPG (2).jpg, ''Portrait of William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley'', after 1585, oil on panel, attributed to Gheeraerts,

National Portrait Gallery, London The National Portrait Gallery (NPG) is an art gallery in London that houses a collection of portraits of historically important and famous British people. When it opened in 1856, it was arguably the first national public gallery in the world th ...

Image:Gheeraerts Francis Drake 1591.jpg, ''Sir

Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...

'', 1591. Image:Elizabeth I Palazzo Pitti Florence.jpg, "Softened" portrait of Elizabeth I, Gheeraerts studio, Palazzo Pitti, Florence File:Marcus Gheeraerts II - Portrait of Mary Rogers, Lady Harington - Google Art Project.jpg, Called ''Mary Rogers, Lady Harington'', 1592, oil on panel. Image:Gheeraerts Unknown Woman.jpg, ''Portrait of an Unknown Woman'' 1590-1600. Oil on canvas,

Royal Collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic List of British royal residences, royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King ...

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

long thought to have been a pregnant Queen Elizabeth I owing to the frame having a plaquard saying ''Queen Elizabeth'' it is now believed to have been a swapped frame. Image:Captain Thomas Lee by Marcus Gheeraerts.jpg, ''Captain Thomas Lee'', oil on canvas, 1594 Image:Attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts II - Portrait of an Unknown Lady - Google Art Project.jpg, ''Portrait of an Unknown Lady'', (possibly Lettice Knollys, Countess of Leicester) File:Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex.jpg, ''Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex'', Gheeraerts studio File:Anne, Lady Pope with her children by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.jpg, Anne, Lady Pope with her children, 1596, National Portrait Gallery, London File:Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (2).jpg, Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex in Garter robes, , National Portrait Gallery, London

Jacobean

File:Gheeraerts Boy Aged 2 1608.jpg, ''Portrait of a Boy Aged 2'', 1608,

Compton Verney Compton Verney is a parish and historic manor in the county of Warwickshire, England. The population taken at the 2011 census was 119. The surviving manor house is the Georgian mansion Compton Verney House. Descent of the manor The first ...

File:Frances Howard Countess of Hertford.jpg, ''Frances Howard, Countess of Hertford'', 1611, oil on canvas File:Anne of Denmark in mourning.jpg, ''Anne of Denmark in Mourning'' (possibly for her son Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales), File:Gheeraerts Tom Durie 1614.jpg, '' Tom Durie'', Anne of Denmark's fool, 1614, oil on panel,

National Galleries of Scotland The National Galleries of Scotland (, sometimes also known as National Galleries Scotland) is the executive non-departmental public body that controls the three national galleries of Scotland and two partner galleries, forming one of the Nation ...

File:Gheeraerts Mary Throckmorton Lady Scudamore.jpg, ''Mary Throckmorton Lady Scudamore'', 1615, oil on panel, National Portrait Gallery, London File:Gheeraerts Woman in Red 1620.jpg, ''Portrait of a Woman in Red'', 1620, oil on canvas,

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

File:Marcus-the-younger-gheeraerts-blanche-parry.jpg, Blanche Parry File:Gheeraerts Margaret Laton.jpg, ''Margaret Laton'', ,

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

File:Gheeraerts Anne Hale Mrs Hoskins.jpg, ''Anne Hale, Mrs Hoskins'', 1629, oil on panel File:Gheeraerts Susanna Temple, later Lady Lister.jpg, ''Susanna Temple'' sister of

James Temple James Temple (c. 1606–1680) was a puritan and English Civil War soldier who was convicted of the List of regicides of Charles I, regicide of Charles I of England, Charles I. Born in Rochester, Kent, to a well-connected gentry family, he was ...

, 1621, oil on canvas, sold 2000

Notes

References

* Collins Baker, ''C. H. Lely and the Stuart Portrait Painters''. 2 vols. London, 1912, 1:21–35. * Hayes, John. ''British Paintings of the Sixteenth through Nineteenth Centuries''. The Collections of the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art is an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in ...

Systematic Catalogue. Washington, D.C., 1992: 111. * Hearn, Karen, ed. ''Dynasties: Painting in Tudor and Jacobean England 1530–1630.'' New York, Rizzoli, 1995. . * Hearn Karen, "Insiders or outsiders? Overseas-born artists at the Jacobean court." In Randolph Vigne and Charles Littleton,''From Strangers to Citizens: The Integration of Immigrant Communities in Britain, Ireland, and Colonial America, 1550–1750'', Sussex Academic Press, 2001, * Hearn, Karen, and Rica Jones, ''Marcus Gheeraerts II: Elizabethan Artist'', London, Tate Gallery, 2003, . * Millar, Sir Oliver. "Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger: A Sequel through Inscriptions." ''

The Burlington Magazine ''The Burlington Magazine'' is a monthly publication that covers the fine and decorative arts of all periods. Established in 1903, it is the longest running art journal in the English language. It has been published by a charitable organisation s ...

'' 105 (1963): 533–541. * Poole, Mrs. Reginald Lane. "Marcus Gheeraerts, Father and Son, Painters." The Walpole Society 3 (1914): 1–8. * Strong, Roy, "Elizabethan Painting: An Approach through Inscriptions. III. Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger." ''

'' 105 (1963): 149–157. * Strong, Roy, ''The English Icon: Elizabethan and Jacobean Portraiture''. London and

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, 1969: 21–24, 269–304. * Strong, Roy, "The Surface of Reality: William Larkin", ''FMR'' No. 61, April 1993, Franco Maria Ricci Int., New York, ISSN 0747-6388.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gheeraerts, Marcus Second 1560s births 1636 deaths 16th-century English painters 17th-century English painters Painters from Bruges Expatriates in the Kingdom of England English male painters Flemish Baroque painters