Nicholas Hilliard, the
son of a goldsmith, was born in Exeter
in about 1547. He trained as a jeweller but later became an artist.
Influenced by the work of Hans Holbein,
Hilliard worked for Elizabeth I and
James I and established the English school
of miniature painting. Hilliard also painted the portraits of Mary,
Queen of Scots, Francis Drake, Philip
Sidney, and Walter
Raleigh.
Despite his success Hilliard
had financial problems and in 1617 was imprisoned for debt. Nicholas
Hilliard died in 1619.
Sir Francis Drake by Nicholas
Hilliard (1581)
Available
from Amazon Books (order below)
