Nicholas Hilliard & his Pupil Isaac Oliver

From his workshop in Gutter Lane, London, Nicholas Hilliard painted both courtiers and other wealthy patrons. Many of his miniatures included elaborate symbols and mottoes, presumably chosen by the sitter. Similar personal symbolism was used in the annual Accession Day jousts, on the banners that courtiers carried to express their devotion to the queen.

Isaac Oliver probably came to England to escape the wars of religion in France. He learned the techniques of miniature painting from Hilliard, but also had some experience of mainstream European art. Unlike Hilliard, he used light and shadow (chiaroscuro) to give a three-dimensional realism to his portraits.

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