Artwork
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland
Henry Percy, 9th Earl of Northumberland is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Nicholas Hilliard. It dates from 1596 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1596 by the English goldsmith‑artist Nicholas Hilliard, this vellum portrait presents Henry Percy, the ninth Earl of Northumberland. Executed in the refined mannerist idiom typical of late‑sixteenth‑century England, the work now belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
The image shows the earl reclining on his back amid a treed, grassy setting, his head supported by a hand. A small book and a pair of gloves lie at his side, while a swing bearing a globe hangs from a nearby branch, suggesting a moment of contemplation or leisure within a cultivated landscape.
Technique & Style
Hilliard employed his characteristic miniature technique on vellum, rendering delicate details with fine brushwork and subtle coloration. The composition balances stylized elegance with naturalistic touches, reflecting the mannerist preference for graceful poses and refined surface treatment.
History & Provenance
After its creation for the Percy family, the portrait entered various private collections before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of English portraiture.
Context
The portrait belongs to a period when English courtiers commissioned intimate, oval miniatures to assert status and identity. Hilliard, renowned for his work for Elizabeth I and James I, applied the same meticulous approach to this noble patron, integrating emblematic objects such as the globe to convey learnedness.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicholas Hilliard (c. 1547 – 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…
