Portret van een vrouw, vermoedelijk Maria Stuart (1542-87), koningin van Schotland 19th century

This miniature portrait of a woman, thought to be Mary Queen of Scots, was made at an unknown date by an anonymous artist. The work is an intimate and intensely personal portrayal of a woman whose life was dominated by political conflict and intrigue. Its small size suggests it was intended as a private keepsake, and the precious materials used in its creation reflect the sitter's high social status. The cultural context in which it was made was the intensely turbulent world of 16th-century European royal politics, dominated by dynastic rivalries and religious conflict. Mary was a key player on this stage and her image became a highly contested political symbol during her lifetime and long after her execution. Historians looking at images like this do so through the lens of contemporary documents, such as letters and diplomatic records. These can help us understand the complex social and political forces that shaped the life of the sitter, and thus the meaning of the work.