Artwork
Portrait of Elizabeth, widow of Frederick V of the Palatinate
Portrait of Elizabeth, widow of Frederick V of the Palatinate is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Alexander Cooper. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
6 cm, is characteristic of Cooper's cabinet miniatures, which were intimate keepsakes intended for private contemplation rather than public display.
The miniature portrays Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, widow of Frederick V of the Palatinate, who was painted by Alexander Cooper in 1650. As a widow portrait, the work likely served to commemorate her status and royal lineage following the death of her husband, the so-called "Winter King" of Bohemia. The small-scale format on cardboard, measuring 4.5 by 3.6 cm, is characteristic of Cooper's cabinet miniatures, which were intimate keepsakes intended for private contemplation rather than public display.
Her depiction in this format reflects the tradition of preserving the likeness of exiled Stuart royals through portable, finely executed portraits.
Technique & Style
The portrait is executed as a miniature on cardboard, a support characteristic of Alexander Cooper's small-scale portrait practice. According to the catalogue record, the work is classified as a painting rather than a drawing, indicating that pigment has been applied to the cardboard surface in a manner consistent with painted miniatures of the period. The diminutive dimensions, 4.5 cm in height by 3.6 cm in width, place it firmly within the intimate, handheld scale typical of mid-seventeenth-century portrait miniatures.
Stylistically, the work belongs to the tradition of cabinet-format likenesses intended for private circulation among royal and aristocratic patrons, with Cooper recognized as one of the leading miniaturists working in that idiom. No information regarding specific pigments, binding media, surface handling, or current condition is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
Alexander Cooper executed this miniature portrait in 1650, depicting Elizabeth Stuart, the widow of Frederick V of the Palatinate. The artist utilized cardboard as the support material for the work, which measures 4.5 cm in height and 3.6 cm in width. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains located.
No further details regarding the specific commission, intermediate ownership history, or acquisition date are provided in the available records.
The work is held by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it is inventoried as object RP-P-1944-206.
It was included in the exhibition “British and French Miniatures from the Collection of Alfred de Rothschild,” held at the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria and Albert Museum) in 1895, lent by the collector Alfred de Rothschild.
Legacy
The miniature portrait of Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia, painted by Alexander Cooper in 1650, has been recognized for its delicate rendering and historical significance as a representative of early Dutch portraiture. Its inclusion in the Rijksmuseum collection has contributed to renewed scholarly interest in the visual culture of the Stuart court and the artistic exchange between England and the Dutch Republic during the mid‑17th century.
Overview
Around 1650, Alexander Cooper executed a modestly sized, circular portrait on cardboard that now belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection. The work portrays Elizabeth Stuart, the former queen of Bohemia and widow of Frederick V of the Palatinate, presenting her in a restrained, formal pose typical of mid‑seventeenth‑century court portraiture.
Context
Elizabeth Stuart (1596–1662) was the daughter of James I of England and the wife of Frederick V, whose brief reign as King of Bohemia earned her the nickname "the Winter Queen." After their exile, portraits such as this served to maintain her royal identity within European courts.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Alexander Cooper (1609–1660) was an English miniature artist, born in London.
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Henriette Marie (1626–51) of Paltz, daughter of Frederick V, King of Bohemia, nicknamed the 'Winter King'.