Impressional Art

My attempt at being a British artist.

The actual artist's exquisite work of art

I appreciate art to a great extent. I love the way that it opens up such diverse interpretations and ideas through its presence. For as long as I can remember, art has been a huge part of my life. My father and I are constantly exploring new art galleries and museums near and far from home. This common love for art and the malleable understanding that comes with each piece is a significant part of our relationship.
The piece above, has no actual title, but is portrayed as "Portrait of a Young Man, Probably Robert Devereux (1566-1601), Second Earl of Essex, was done by artist Nicholas Hilliard, an English goldsmith, in England in 1588. This piece is a "miniature", which is a piece of art that is less than 100 cm and is made of brass with a Vellum laid on a card. The miniature  is a rather small oval with dimensions 15/8 x 13/8 inches.

There isn't a true style or technique of the piece as there isn't any sort of significant use of texture, light, color. The piece is a simple portrait of a political figure in Great Britain's history, simply made to present the man. Although the piece is in no way exuberant, the piece represents a figure that played a role in crafting Great Britain's history. The "sitter" (Robert Devereux) is wearing very fancy clothing and remains still with no smile or frown, almost numb, presenting the culture of the era. During the 15-1600s, portraits were commonly taken of families, government officials, and royalty. These portraits were intended to be as accurate as possible and due to the lack of technological advancement, the subjects were to be as still as possible. In result, many portraits were of people calm, standing or sitting straight up, with no smile. The technique of the piece has the overall purpose of portraying the era in which it was made.

On initial glance, the miniature looks to be a simple portrait of a man, encased in a brass oval. I knew that subject had to have some sort of significance but wasn't quite sure what this significance might be. So I dug further. Through thorough research, I found that Robert Devereux was a very important figure in England, as Elizabeth favored him greatly after she saw him in court in 1587. A romance with thirty years difference initiated unknowingly. Devereux knew of the queen's infatuation but acted against this love, marrying Frances Walsingham, angering the queen greatly. Later in life Devereux held roles as earl marshal, chancellor, governor, but was unfortunately executed in 1601 when his attempt to rebel against the queen failed.
When you consider context while evaluating and interpreting the piece of art, everything begins to make much more sense. The artist, Nicholas Hilliard, was born and raised in England and has been applauded for his work in miniatures. Robert Devereux is a huge figure in England's history with an intriguing life story to be told. These two factors together create an interesting, purposeful work for both the artist and the audience. Nicholas Hilliard was living in an era in which portraits were done a very simple, coherent way (which explains his style) and Robert Devereux was of great importance to all of England. The art piece in fact tells a story to us all of the peaks and valleys of a characteristic of England's history.


Citations

Cavendish, Richard. “The Execution of the Earl of Essex.” History Today, 2001, www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/execution-earl-essex.

“Portrait of a Young Man, Probably Robert Devereux (1566–1601), Second Earl of Essex.” Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/35.89.4/.

Cavendish, Richard. “The Execution of the Earl of Essex.” History Today, 2001, www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/execution-earl-essex.