Key words
linocut; royalty
Questions to ask
Although this image is undoubtedly of a historical figure, the work looks quite modern. What are the characteristics that make it look more recent than it is?
Think about the choice of colour in this work. Do you like it? Why do you think the artist chose this colour?
Mary is pictured staring out of the left hand side of the image. Why do you think this is?
How this might inspire your work
Make a portrait of a friend or family member as if they are a royal monarch. Research the ways in which Kings and Queens have been represented throughout history, and use some of the recurring characteristics in your image.
Think in particular about what royalty tend to wear, how artists choose to pose their subject to convey a sense of status, power and importance, and the kind of symbolic objects that may be present in the image.
To complete your image in the style of Pittendrigh Macgillvray, invent a suitable name for your monarch and include it somewhere in your composition.
Maria Regina Scotorum between 1890-1910 by Pittendrigh Macgillvray (1856-1938).
This linocut print shows a half-length portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots wearing elaborate robes and ruff in monochrome crimson. The detail and precision in the print is testament to the high regard Macgillvray gave to technique and craftsmanship that is evident in all his work.
Known more often as one of Scotland's finest sculptors, Macgillvray's most noteworthy commission was for the six monumental figures for the front of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh commissioned at about the time that the work shown here was made.
Described as a fervent nationalist, MacGillvray championed Scottish history, which may have influenced his choice of subject for this portrait.
There are these inscriptions on the exhibit:
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery collection, bequest of Emily and Gordon Bottomley 1949
Image © Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
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