Mary, Queen of Scots, with a small scene of the queen on the scaffold, being prepared by her ladies for execution 1824 - 1825

This 19th-century engraving by James Joshua Neele depicts Mary, Queen of Scots, in a formal portrait above a scene of her execution. Mary, Queen of Scots was the Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567 and was famously executed by her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I, of England. The artwork uses a stark and realistic style to depict this pivotal moment in British history. The engraving, now housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a poignant reminder of the turbulent life and tragic death of a powerful monarch.