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The Royal Family of the Stuarts

Michiel van der Gucht

1692

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque

Dominant colour

The Royal Family of the Stuarts is a 1692 ink by Michiel van der Gucht, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Michiel van der Gucht
When & what style?: 1692 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This print shows five oval portraits arranged in a grid. The top row has two men with curly wigs and stiff collars, labeled "King James the 1st" and "King Charles the 1st." The center is a woman with a fancy crown and necklace, labeled "Queen Anne." The bottom row has two more men in powdered wigs, labeled "King Charles the 2nd" and "King James the 2nd." The background is a dark, textured pattern, and the whole thing looks like it was drawn with fine lines. The text at the bottom reads: *"In their Time Rich Industry sat Smiling on the Plain / And Peace, and Plenty, held a Stuart’s Reign."* This suggests the print was made to celebrate the Stuart dynasty’s rule. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this made detailed prints with just metal and ink.