Mary, Queen of Scots 1845 - 1855

Thomas William Hunt made this engraving of Mary, Queen of Scots, in the second half of the 19th century. Here, Mary is presented to us as an icon. But what exactly does she represent? This image participates in a 19th-century revival of interest in Mary, who was executed in England in 1587, after being accused of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I. We see her presented as a tragic figure: a Catholic queen in a Protestant land. So, this image is tied to the social and religious contexts of Victorian Britain. By this time, Catholics had been granted greater civil liberties, so the popularity of images like this one demonstrates how public attitudes toward Catholics were changing. To find out more, we might look at other representations of historical figures in Victorian art, or study popular literature of the period. By placing art in its social and institutional context, we can better understand its cultural meanings.