De Passe (Crispijn)

Franciæ, Hiberniæ, et Verginiæ Regina Christianæ Fidei Unicum Propugnaculum,

London, Hans Woutneel, 1596.
scarce, full-length portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, standing to right between two columns before a background of ships and sailboats around a fortified island, wearing a crown and jewels in her hair, lace-trimmed ruff and necklaces over a borcade dress fronted and hemmed with jewels, holding an orb in her left hand and a sceptre in her right hand.
This was the second of three portraits of Elizabeth I to come from the collaboration of two Dutch protestant emigrés from Spanish rule, Crispijn de Passe (1564-1637), who settled in Cologne, and Hans Wooutneel (fl.1580-1603/8), who moved to London. The others are a half-length portrait published in 1592, and another full-length, but posthumous, portrait published in 1603 or shortly after. Woutneel, a bookseller, was considered the primary link between the Dutch protestant publishing world and London, and he commissioned these portraits, probably supplying a preliminary drawing in each case, from which de Passe would engrave his plate. Although a pirated version exists, the absence of any London-printed copies suggests de Passe retained the plate in Cologne and simply sent over the finished prints for distribution by Woutneel.
This particular copy bears the collector’s mark of John Young F.S.A., who was nominated for membership of the Society of Antiquaries in 1834, and became a member in 1835. Following his death, his collection of autograph manuscripts and prints was sold at Sotheby’s in April, 1875,.