Page:Hutton, William Holden - Hampton Court (1897).djvu/256

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176
HAMPTON COURT

there are striking portraits of herself and of her great rival, and of a number of ladies and gentlemen of her court. Sir Antonio More has some other fine examples here of his rapid, impressive work. Walsingham, Dudley, Howard of Effingham, and other worthies, are here in their habits as they lived; and the pale, meagre face of Francis II., Mary of Scots' first husband. One of Queen Mary herself, by Francois Clouet, now removed to Windsor, a charming picture, is, like the most authentic portraits—as, for instance, that in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, formerly belonging to Dr. Wellesley—not too beautiful for belief. She is here[1] in white, with cap and veil, and curly reddish hair fringing the face.[2] Another portrait remains as No. 560. It is a copy by Mytens of an original now in the National Portrait Gallery and signed "P. Oudry." This is not so pleasing, and certainly has no better claims to be considered authentic. Her mother-in-law, Margaret, Countess of Lennox (No. 559), is probably another of Mytens's copies.

But the portraits of Elizabeth herself far outweigh these in importance. There are four besides the smaller figures in the family group already mentioned.[3] The first (No. 349) is most delightful and characteristic. It is a fanciful picture, probably by Zuccaro, in what some call a "Persian-looking costume," but

  1. Formerly No. 631.
  2. Is this "the Queen of Scotland with the Dolphin of Fraunce, of Gennett's doeinge," in the list drawn up for Charles when Prince of Wales?
  3. Above, p. 173.