HILLIARD, NICHOLAS (c. 15371619)

This article appears in Volume V13, Page 469 of the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: HIG-HOR

HILLIARD, NICHOLAS (c. 15371619) , the first true English miniature painter, is said to have been the son of Richard Hilliard of

Exeter

EXETER
EXETER, EARL, MARQUESS AND DUKE OF

, high sheriff of the city and county in 156o, by Lawrence, daughter of John

Wall

WALL (O. Eng. weal, weall, Mid. Eng. wal, wane, adapted from Lat. vallum, rampart; the
original
- ORIGINAL
O. Eng. word for a wall was wag or tenth)
WALL, RICHARD (1694-1778)

, goldsmith, of London, and was born probably about 1J37. He was appointed goldsmith, carver and portrait painter to Queen Elizabeth, and engraved the

Great

GREAT

Seal of England in 1586. He was in high favour with James I. as well as with Elizabeth, and from the king received a

special

SPECIAL

patent of appointment, dated the 5th of May 1617, and granting him a sole

licence

LICENCE (through the French from Lat. licentia, licere, to be lawful)

for the royal

work

WORK

for twelve years. He is believed to have been the author of an important treatise on miniature painting, now preserved in the Bodleian Library, but it seems more probable that the author of that treatise was John de Critz, Serjeant Painter to James I. It is probable, however, that the treatise was taken, down from the instructions of Hilliard, for the benefit of one of his pupils, perhaps Isaac Oliver.
The esteem of his countrymen for Hilliard is testified to by Dr Donne, who in a poem called " The

Storm

" (1597) praises the

work

WORK

of this artist. He painted a portrait of himself at the age of thirteen, and is said to have executed one of Mary queen of Scots when he was eighteen years old. He died on the 7th of January 1619, and was buried in St Martin's-in-the-Fields, Westminster, leaving by his will twenty shillings to the poor of the parish, L3o between his two sisters, some goods to his maid-servant, and all the rest of his effects to his son, Lawrence Hilliard, his sole executor.
It seems to be pretty certain that he visited France, and that he is the artist alludea in in the papers of the due d'Alencon under the name of " Nicholas Belliart, peintre anglois" who was painter to this prince in 1577, receiving a stipend of 200 livres. The miniature of Mademoiselle de Sourdis, in the collection of Mr J. Pierpont

Morgan

, is certainly the work of Hilliard, and is dated 1577, in which year she was a maid of honour at the French Court; and other portraits which are his work are believed to represent Gabrielle d'Estrees, niece of Madame de Sourdis, la Princesse de

Conde

and Madame de Montgomery.
For further information respecting Hilliard's sojourn in France, see the privately printed catalogue of the collection of miniatures belonging to Mr J. Pierpont

Morgan

, compiled by Dr G. C. Williamson. (G. C. W.)

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