Monday 7 September 2015

Paul Thoyras de Rapin - Histoire d'Angleterre (The History of England).

The History of England.
 
by Paul Thoyras de Rapin (1661 - 1725).
 
with engravings by George Vertue.

What makes these images very interesting is that Vertue gives the source of the original portraits used to create the engravings. The first real attempt to collect together true images of the Kings and Queens of England.

for the 2nd English 1732 edition see
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=d29ZAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
 
 
 
Alfred the Great (849 - 99).
Image derived from a picture at University College which in turn was believed to have derived from an ancient stone bust as depicted in the engraving.
British Museum.
 
 
 
 
William the Conquerer (1066 - 87).
Imaged derived from silver coins as described .
British Museum.
 
 
 
 William Rufus (1087 - 1100).
 
Image derived from two coins.
 
British Museum.
 
 
 Henry I (1100 - 35).
Again the image is derived from a coin and from a wax seal.
British Museum.
 
 
Stephen (1135 - 54).
Image derived from coins of the realm
Image courtesy Stanford University.


 
Henry II. (1154 -89).
Image derived from his monument at the Abbey at Font Evraud, Anjou, France.
Image courtesy Stanford University.
 
 
 Richard I (Coeur de Lion) (1189 - 99).
Image from the monument at the Abbey at Font Evraud, Anjou, France.
British Museum.
 
 
John (1199 - 1216)
Image 'taken from the tomb at Windsor. 
 
 
Henry III (1216 -72)
 From the Monument in Westminster Abbey.
British Museum.
 
 
Edward I (Longshanks) (1272 - 1307)
Derived from 'over the castle gate of Carnarvon Castle, the remains of an ancient statue'.
 British Museum.
 
 
Edward II (1307 - 1327).
 
From the monument in Gloucester Cathedral.
British Museum.
 
 
Edward III (1327 - 1377).
'From an antient painting in Windsor Castle'
 
 
 
Richard II (1377 - 99)
From an antient original in the 'quire'
 
 
Henry IV (1399 - 1413).
Taken from a picture at Hampton Court, Herefordshire.
British Museum.
 
 
 
 
Henry V (1413–1422).
From a picture at Kensington Palace.
British Museum.
 
 
 
Henry VI (1422 - 61).
 
Painted on board from the Palace at Kensington.
British Museum.
 
 
 
Edward IV (1461 - 70).
From a painting at Kensington Palace.
British Museum.
 
 
Edward V (1483)
'From a limning in a manuscript book now in the Library at Lambeth'
British Museum.
 
 
 
Richard III (1483 - 85).
 
From an original on board at Kensington Palace
Royal Collection Trust / © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015
 
 
 
Henry VII (1485 - 1509)
 
British Museum 
 
 
 
 
Henry VIII (1509 - 47).
From a painting in the Royal Gallery at Kensington.
British Museum.
 
 
 
 
Edward VI (1547 - 53).
Proof engraving.
British Museum.
 
 
 
Mary (1553 - 58).
from a picture in the collection of the Earl of Oxford
Royal Collection Trust / © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015
 
 
Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603).
From an original by Isaac Oliver in the collection of Richard Meade MD.
 
Royal Collection Trust / © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015
 
 
 

Royal Collection Trust / © HM Queen Elizabeth II, 2015
 
 
 
James I (1603 - 25).
From an Original at Hampton Court.
British Museum.
 
 
Charles I (1625 - 49)
From an Original at Hampton Court by van Dyck.
 

Bazililogia, A Booke of Kings, 1618.

 
 Baziliologia. 
 A Book of Kings.
Henry Holland, 1618.
Frontispiece.
 
Engravings predominantly  by Renold (Reginold) Elstrake (1570 - 1625 ish)
Each engraving 177 mm x 112 mm approx.
 
For a very full study (230 pages) on the Bazililogia see - Baziliologia A Booke of Kings: Notes on a Rare Series of Engraved English Royal Portraits from William the Conquerer to James I, by H.C.Levis, published by The Grolier Club, New York in 1913. 
 
For a fully downloadable version in various formats including PDF see - http://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/baziliologiaboo00levi
 
Renold Elstrack was the foremost English engraver of his time. His first dated plates were made in 1598 and he produced mainly maps and portraits. Elstrack's portraits of the royal family bear no relation to any known painting and it is believed that he composed them himself; their beauty and rarity made them highly sought after. Elstrack probably never published himself, but worked for a number of London publishers, initially for the partnership of John Sudbury and George Humble, and from 1616 for the newly established firm of Compton Holland.
 
This was the first series of engravings of the Kings and Queens of England and came at a time when collections of Paintings of the Kings and Queens of England had become fashionable in Aristocratic Circles.
 
For an excellent and very full thesis on the subject of sets of painted portraits of royalty for her DPhil for the University of Sussex 2015 by Catherine Daunt see -
 
Portrait Sets in Tudor and Jacobean England. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
William I (1066 - 87).
Renold Elstrack.
 
 William II Rufus (1087 - 1100).
 Renold Elstrack
 
 
 
Henry I (1100 - 35).
Richard Elstrack
 
 
 
Stephen. (1135 - 54).
 
 
 
 
Henry II (1154 - 89).
 
 
 Richard I (1189 - 99).
 
 
John (1199 - 1216).
Renold Elstrack
 
 
Henry III (1216 - 72).
Renold Elstrack
 
 
 
Edward I Longshanks (1272 - 1307).
 
 
Edward II (1307 - 27).
 
 
Edward III (1327 - 77).
Renold Elstrack 
 
 
 
Edward The Black Prince (d. 1376).
Renold Elstrack.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Richard II (1377 - 99).
Renold Elstrack. 
 
 
Henry IV. (1399 - 1413).
 
 
 
Henry V (1413 - 22).
Renold Elstrack
 
 
 
Henry VI (1422 - 61).
Renold Elstrack.
 
 
 
Edward IV (1461 - 70).
 Renold Elstrack
 
 
 
 
Edward V (1483).
 
 
Richard III (1483 - 85).
 
 
 
 
 Henry VII (1485 - 1509).
 
 
 Henry VIII. (1509 - 47).
Engraved by Francis Deleram.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Edward VI (1547 - 53).
Engraving by Simon de Passe.
 
 
 
 
Queen Mary (1553 -58).
Francis Deleram
 
 
Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603).
Renold Elstrack
 
 
James I (1603 - 25)
Engraved by Simon de Passe (d.1647)