True and Lively Portraicture

Seventeenth century portrait prints now on display in the Charrington Print Room

A fine selection of Seventeenth century portrait prints from the Fitzwilliam Museum’s permanent collection is now on display in the Charrington Print Room.

This selection of portraits is amongst the finest in the Museum’s collection, with likenesses of monarchs from Queen Elizabeth I to the kings of the Stuart dynasty. Other figures represented include navigators and explorers, William Shakespeare and Samuel Pepys.

The Seventeenth century is marked by the high productivity of printmakers working in London, especially in the field of portraiture. The engravings, etchings and mezzotints on display provide an intriguing insight into the dramatically changing appearance of portrait prints throughout this period, demonstrating the rise and decline of particular shapes and sizes according to fashion.

These portraits are part of a series of changing displays in the Charrington Print Room, designed to highlight a range of treasures from the Museum’s permanent print collection. For the latest details of these displays, please refer regularly to The Fitzwilliam Museum website.

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12 February 2008