{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O81994"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O81994/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JA2718/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2016JA2718/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2016JA2718","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AG3012","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JU0470","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O81994/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O81994","accessionNumber":"P.3:1-1974","objectType":"Portrait miniature","titles":[{"title":"Portrait Miniature of an Unknown Young Man","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This miniature is unique among Hilliard's miniatures, because the sitter is placed against a black background. Conservation assessment has shown how the sitter’s demand for this unusual colour caused Hilliard difficulties. He had to marry it to the hair, which resulted in a hard, unbroken edge. Usually in his works he was able to extend the hair over a lighter background. The colour black is emblematic of constancy, because it will take no other colour.","physicalDescription":"Portrait miniature of a young man, head and shoulders, oval. The six of hearts is printed on the reverse of the backing sheet. Turned ivory framed. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Hilliard, Nicholas","id":"A8506"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"vellum","id":"x42751"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting","id":"x30598"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on vellum, stuck to a playing card.","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Hair and hairstyles","id":"THES258945"}],"styles":[{"text":"Elizabethan","id":"AAT21036"},{"text":"English School","id":"x44855"},{"text":"Tudor","id":"AAT21035"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2016JA2718","2006AG3012","2017JU0470"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"RMC","shelf":"1","box":"A"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"miniature","id":"AAT33936"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1590-1593","earliest":"1590-01-01","latest":"1593-12-31"},"association":{"text":"painted","id":"x30138"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"P.3:2-1974","id":"O1410227"},"association":""}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"50","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"42","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"60","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Case","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"10","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"Case","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Dimensions taken from: Strong, Roy. <u>Artists of the Tudor Court: the Portrait Miniature Rediscovered 1520-1620.</u>. London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. ","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This is one of five miniatures from the Radnor collection (P.1 to 5-1974), all of which were reframed at the time of acquisition for conservation reasons and are now housed in 1970s frames. The original ivory box and lid for each medallion is currently held in storage.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Portrait Miniature, portrait miniature of an unknown young man, by Nicholas Hilliard, watercolour on velum, ca. 1590-1593.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Strong, Roy. <u>Artists of the Tudor Court: the Portrait Miniature Rediscovered 1520-1620.</u>. London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. \n\n\nCat. 93, p. 80. Part Citation:\r\n\r\n\r\nVellum stuck to a playing card with six hearts at the reverse, oval, 50 x 42 mm, 2 ¾ x 1 5/8 in.\r\n\nIt is in very poor condition with sever flaking of the shirt, abrasions to the features and background, which is also damaged by water, and very faded.  Nonetheless the miniature is unique amongst Hilliard’s <i>oeuvre</i> in placing the sitter against a black background.  V. J. Muirrell points out that the demand of the sitter for this colour has caused Hilliard difficulties in marrying it to the hair, resulting in a hard unbroken edge in contrast to his usual ability to extend the hair over a lighter background.\r\n\r\nThe young man looks about twenty and is presenting himself as a lover.  Black as a colour is emblematic of constancy because it will take not other colour (see Leslie Hotson, <i>Mr W H</i>, London, 1964, p. 211 for a list of references to this).  Both REYNOLDS AND Auerbach date this miniature to c. 1585 which, on grounds of the hairstyle, is impossible.  The hair is long and curly at the sides and brushed away from the forehead, a fashion adopted by young men at the opening of the 1590’s (Strong, <i>The English Icon,</i> 1969, p. 217 (175); 220 (179-80).  The still free calligraphic rendering of the hair dates it before c. 1593 when Hilliard’s style changed.\r\n\r\nNo identity can be suggested but the miniatures, as a group, relate to Elizabeth Stafford, Lady Drury.\r\n\r\nCOLLECTIONS: See P.2-1974.\r\n\r\nLITERATURE: Countess of Radnor and W. B. Squire. <i>Catalogue of the Collection of the Earl of Radnor</i>, 1909, II, p. 109 (4).\r\nV&A, 1947 (27).\r\nAuerbach, <i>Hilliard</i>, pp. 93-4; pl. 64; 297 (59).\r\nStrong, “The Radnor Miniatures”, <i>Christie’s Review of the Season 1974</i>, ed. John Herbert, 1974, pp. 254-57.\r\nStrong, <i>Hilliard</i>, p. 30, pl. 9 (a).”"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Katherine Coombs, <u>The Portrait Miniature in England</u>, V&A Publications, 1998, pp.87-92."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Katherine Coombs, <i>Finney, Samuel (1719-1798)</i>', <u>Oxford Dictionary of National Biography</u>, Oxford University Press, 2004."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Damiët Schneeweisz, Rosalind McKever, and Adriana Concin. The Portrait Miniature: A New History. London: Thames & Hudson  and the V&A, 2026."},{"reference":{"text":"Damiët Schneeweisz, Rosalind McKever, and Adriana Concin. <i>The Portrait Miniature: A New History</i>. London: Thames & Hudson and the V&A, 2026.","id":"AUTH411474"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"Portrait of a man, head and shoulders, the head turned slightly to left and looking to front; the sitter's left hand is tucked inside the right breast of his shirt; his hair is shoulder-length; the shirt that he wears is made of a patterned lace.","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"man","id":"AAT25928"}],"contentConcepts":[{"text":"love","id":"AAT55165"}],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts and the Russian Tsars label text: \r\n\r\nUnknown young man\r\nAbout 1590–3\r\nEngland\r\nNicholas Hilliard\r\nWatercolour on vellum, stuck to a playing card with six of hearts\r\nV&A P.3-1974","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null}}],"partNumbers":["P.3:1-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"3","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-12-15","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-08","availableToBook":false}}