James VI of Scotland / James I of England, by Anton Vanson

James VI of Scotland, by Anton Vanson, 1595. James VI of Scotland, by Anton Vanson, 1595. Scottish National Portrait Gallery PG 156.

In 1595, the Flemish artist Anton Vanson (1581-1602) portrayed King James VI of Scotland (who also became King James I of England and Ireland in 1601), when the King was 29 years old (Scottish National Portrait Gallery PG 156). The king, who lived from 1566 to 1625, is depicted in a grey silk doublet, white fur coat and black hat with jewelled band and aigrette. The painting measures 72.90 x 62,30 cm (excl. frame).

The ‘A’ form of the aigrette refers to his wife, Anne of Denmark, whom he married in 1589. The pale grey (or blue) doublet is decorated with applied lengths of cord made from plaiting three, thick gold coloured wires together. The cords have been sewn down to the ground material in a trellis work pattern using five strands of cords for each 'band'. Inside the parallelograms of the trellis work there are strands of deep pink (probably floss silk) that are wrapped around (or possibly couched down) by what appears to be a flat, gold thread (also known as plate).

See also: passementerie

Scottish National Portrait Gallery online catalogue (retrieved 6 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 14 August 2016 18:17