The Royal Collection holds royal portraits from visual works to decorative arts
ABRAHAM BLOOTELING (1640-90)
James II
c.1670-90RCIN 602825
Formal portraits of monarchs were disseminated though prints, such as this extraordinary mezzotint of the Duke of York, later James II (r.1685–88) after Sir Peter Lely (1618–1680).
Lely had a special relationship with Dutch printmaker Abraham Blooteling (1634–1690) who created prints after a great number of his portraits. This life-size mezzotint perfectly captures the rich tones and dramatic lighting of a painting, and results in a strikingly dramatic portrait.
