Tag Archives: Elizabethan

Creating Kirby

Posted on 06/11/2021 by The Gardens Trust

The story of Kirby Hall  in Northamptonshire is inextricably linked with the story of the Hatton family who rose to prominence under Elizabeth I, and remained there right through the 17thc.  As their fortunes changed after that so did that … Continue reading →

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A Young Man Among Roses

Posted on 12/06/2021 by The Gardens Trust

I’m sure that you’ll recognise this picture.   Its custodian, the V&A, says it “is perhaps the most famous of English miniatures. It epitomises the romantic Elizabethan age and is a masterpiece of miniature paintings by its greatest exponent, Nicholas Hilliard. … Continue reading →

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Lord Edward’s a-maze-ing portrait

Posted on 10/04/2021 by The Gardens Trust

Discussing this Elizabethan portrait in a lecture recently  I found myself describing the image in the background sometimes as a maze and sometimes a labyrinth and wondering if there is any difference between them?      In any case what … Continue reading →

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Swans

Posted on 13/03/2021 by The Gardens Trust

The report of the deliberate killing of a swan in my local park got me thinking, not just about the brainless slaughter of an innocent creature presumably for “fun” but about why it was there in the first place. Swans … Continue reading →

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The Wizard Earl & his miniature conundrum

Posted on 21/11/2020 by The Gardens Trust

This painting has intrigued me since I first saw it, and I’ve included it in lectures on both Elizabethan gardens and art history, for reasons that I hope will soon become apparent.  The sitter [or rather the recliner] is Henry … Continue reading →

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