Peter Oliver (1589 – before 27 December 1647) was an English miniaturist. He was born in 1589, the eldest son of

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 ...

, a French-born English portrait miniature painter, and his first wife, Elizabeth (1570/71–1599). When he died, Isaac Oliver left his finished and unfinished drawings for Peter, with the hope that he would live to exercise the art of his father. Isaac's other sons appear to have been under-age at the time of his death, and were probably therefore by a later wife than Peter's mother. Peter Oliver resided at

Isleworth Isleworth ( ) is a suburban town in the London Borough of Hounslow, West London, England. It lies immediately east of Hounslow and west of the River Thames and its tributary the River Crane, London, River Crane. Isleworth's original area of ...

, and was buried, on 27 December 1647, beside his father at St Annes, Blackfriars. He was even more eminent in miniature painting than his father, and is specially remarkable for a series of copies in

watercolor Watercolor (American English) or watercolour (Commonwealth English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences), also ''aquarelle'' (; from Italian diminutive of Latin 'water'), is a painting metho ...

he made after celebrated pictures by old masters. Most of these were done by the desire of the king, and seven of them still remain at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a List of British royal residences, royal residence at Windsor, Berkshire, Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, about west of central London. It is strongly associated with the Kingdom of England, English and succee ...

. A great many of Oliver's works were purchased by Charles II from his widow; several of his drawings are in existence, and a leaf from his pocket-book in the collection of the

earl of Derby Earl of Derby ( ) is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby, under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the en ...

. His most important work is the group of the three grandsons of

Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montague Anthony Browne, 1st Viscount Montagu, KB, PC (29 November 1528 – 19 October 1592) was an English peer during the Tudor period. He was a staunch Roman Catholic, but unswervingly loyal to the Crown. Montagu was employed on diplomatic missions ...

with their servant, now belonging to the

marquess of Exeter Marquess of Exeter is a title that has been created twice, once in the peerage of England and once in the peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in the peerage of England in 1525 for Henry Courtenay, 2nd Earl of Devon. For mor ...

; and there are fine miniatures by him at

Welbeck Abbey Welbeck Abbey is an English country house near the village of Welbeck in the Bassetlaw District of Nottinghamshire. It was the site of a monastery belonging to the Premonstratensian order, and after the Dissolution of the Monasteries a residen ...

, Montagu House,

Sherborne Castle Sherborne Castle (sometimes called Sherborne New Castle) is a 16th-century Tudor mansion southeast of Sherborne Sherborne is a market town and civil parishes in England, civil parish in north west Dorset, in South West England. It is sited ...

Minley Manor Minley Manor is a Grade II* listed country manor house, located within a Grade II registered garden, built in the French Gothic style by Henry Clutton in the 1860s with further additions in the 1880s. The Manor is situated 2 miles north of junct ...

Belvoir Castle Belvoir Castle ( ) is a faux historic castle and stately home in Leicestershire, England, situated west of the town of Grantham and northeast of Melton Mowbray. A castle was first built on the site immediately after the Norman Conquest of 10 ...

and in the private collection of

Queen Wilhelmina Wilhelmina (; Wilhelmina Helena Pauline Maria; 31 August 1880 – 28 November 1962) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1890 until her abdication in 1948. She reigned for nearly 58 years, making her the longest-reigning monarch in Dutch history, as ...

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External links

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Miniatures by Peter Oliver
(National Portrait Gallery, London) {{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Peter 1589 births 1647 deaths 17th-century English painters English male painters English watercolourists English portrait miniaturists