Image

William Rogers

Portrait of William Cecil

Description

Maker

Attributed to William Rogers (British, fl. ca. 1589-1604), designer

Title

Portrait of William Cecil

Year

ca. 1572-1604

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

engraving

Supports

Dimensions

Plate: 14.6 x 11.6 cm (5 3/4 x 4 9/16 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

In Plate--Inscribed in LC:The right honorable Syr. William Cecill/Knight c, Baron of Burghly, Knight of the Honorable/Order of the Garter, maister of her highness Wardes/ And Liveries one of the Lordes of her maiesties/Privie counsaile and lord high Tresorer of England

Marks: Stamped in brown ink on verso:R.I.S.D. /MUSEUM/OF ART surounded by PROVIDENCE/RHODE ISLAND all inscribed in a circle

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Murray S. Danforth

Object Number

46.355

Type

Projects & Publications

Publications

  • Books

The Brilliant Line: Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650

Renaissance engravings are objects of exquisite beauty and incomparable intricacy that are composed entirely of lines. Artists began using this intaglio process in Europe as early as 1430. This captivating catalogue focuses on the height of the medium, from 1480 to 1650, when engravers made dramatic and rapid visual changes to engraving technique as they responded to the demands of reproducing artworks in other media. The Brilliant Line follows these visual transformations and offers new insight into the special inventiveness and technical virtuosity of Renaissance and Baroque (Early Modern) engravers. The three essays discuss how engraving’s restrictive materials and the physical process of engraving informed its visual language; the context for the spread of particular engraving styles throughout Europe; and the interests, knowledge, and skills that Renaissance viewers applied when viewing and comparing engravings by style or school.

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Brilliant Line
Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650
Sep 18, 2009 – Jan 03, 2010

Label copy

The fine manner of engraving spread quickly outside of the Netherlands, as the demand for portrait engravings became a mainstay of the engraver’s art. In France and England, where the cult of the portrait was particularly strong, the fine manner was the predominant style for several decades. Though laborious, it responded well to the textures of rich and shiny fabrics and to individualized facial features.

William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley (1520-1598), was an English statesman and chief advisor to Queen Elizabeth I for most of her reign. Both the middle bourgeoisie and the highest nobility had their portraits made by engravers as they rose through the ranks or solidified their place in society.

Recent Acquisitions of the Print Room
Sep 28, 1948 – Oct 30, 1948

Related Publications

Related Publications

  • Books

The Brilliant Line: Following the Early Modern Engraver, 1480-1650

Renaissance engravings are objects of exquisite beauty and incomparable intricacy that are composed entirely of lines. Artists began using this intaglio process in Europe as early as 1430. This captivating catalogue focuses on the height of the medium, from 1480 to 1650, when engravers made dramatic and rapid visual changes to engraving technique as they responded to the demands of reproducing artworks in other media. The Brilliant Line follows these visual transformations and offers new insight into the special inventiveness and technical virtuosity of Renaissance and Baroque (Early Modern) engravers. The three essays discuss how engraving’s restrictive materials and the physical process of engraving informed its visual language; the context for the spread of particular engraving styles throughout Europe; and the interests, knowledge, and skills that Renaissance viewers applied when viewing and comparing engravings by style or school.

Use & Feedback

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Attributed to William Rogers (British, fl. ca. 1589-1604), designer
Portrait of William Cecil, ca. 1572-1604
Engraving
Plate: 14.6 x 11.6 cm (5 3/4 x 4 9/16 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Murray S. Danforth 46.355

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.