Francesco Bartolozzi (Florence, 1727 - 1815, Lisbon)
Mary, Queen of Scots, about 1779
Engraving, 38.1 x 27.6 cm (15 x 10 7/8 in.)
This black, white, and grayscale print is a full length portrait of a woman and child. The pair are standing in a wood paneled room between a tied back, heavy curtain on their right and two mullioned, leaded glass windows on their left. Through the window there is a view of a distant castle with a tower and flag. A cloth covered table bearing a glass vase with spring flowers is between the young girl and the window. The woman stands to the right of the girl with her open palm resting lightly on the top of the child’s head. Both of them are richly dressed in sixteenth-century garb: ankle length full skirts, tight bodices with long sleeves and wide, white lace at their wrists and necks. The woman’s gown is dark and unpatterned while the child’s is light and embroidered with delicate floral tracery. The woman wears a simple white lace cap covering all but side wisps of wavy hair. Her forehead is wide, her eyes large and bright, her chin pointed, and her expression forms a pleasant half smile as she looks directly at the viewer. She carries a small book in her left hand with her index finger marking a page in the middle. The child holds a rose in one hand and a wide brimmed bonnet in the other. The young child’s facial features are remarkably like the woman’s. The child has light, short, and wavy hair.
Yellow Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.