Artwork

Ludovic Stuart (1574-1623/1624), eerste hertog van Richmond en tweede hertog van Lennox of Thomas Howard (1561-1628), graaf van Suffolk

Ludovic Stuart (1574-1623/1624), eerste hertog van Richmond en tweede hertog van Lennox of Thomas Howard (1561-1628), graaf van Suffolk is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Isaac Oliver. It dates from 1600 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Overview

Created around 1600 by the English miniaturist Isaac Oliver, this portrait is executed on parchment and now belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

Created around 1600 by the English miniaturist Isaac Oliver, this portrait is executed on parchment and now belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection. It depicts a bearded gentleman in a black shirt trimmed with a blue stripe and a white collar, set against a deep blue background. The sitter’s steady gaze and neutral expression convey a restrained dignity typical of early‑seventeenth‑century court portraiture.

Subject & Meaning

The figure is identified as Ludovic Stuart (1574‑1623/24), who held the titles of first Duke of Richmond and second Duke of Lennox, and as Thomas Howard (1561‑1628), Earl of Suffolk. By portraying both aristocrats together, the work underscores their familial and political connections within the English nobility, reflecting the era’s emphasis on lineage and status.

Technique & Style

Oliver employed the fine brushwork and meticulous detailing characteristic of his miniature practice, adapting it to a larger parchment surface. The rendering of hair, beard and fabric is highly realistic, with careful attention to the play of light on the black shirt and the subtle tonal shifts in the blue background. The portrait’s restrained palette and precise modeling exemplify the transition from Elizabethan to early Stuart portraiture.

History & Provenance

The painting entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings through acquisition in the twentieth century, though its earlier ownership record is limited. Its attribution to Oliver rests on stylistic analysis and comparison with documented works by the artist, confirming its place within his oeuvre of elite portraiture produced at the turn of the seventeenth century.