Portraits, Painters, and Publics in Provincial England, 1540—1640

Robert Tittler

The first comprehensive study of post-Reformation provincial English Portraiture
The first extended examination of native English 'vernacular' portraiture in this era
Examines the working life of native-English painters so allows the reader to understand painters not just as 'artists', but also as working craftsmen
Examines the relations between portraiture and heraldry, painters and heralds; demonstrates the close collaboration between the two forms of expression, both of which were more closely linked in England than elsewhere

Portraits, Painters, and Publics in Provincial England, 1540—1640

Robert Tittler

Description

Robert Tittler investigates the growing affinity for secular portraiture in Tudor and early Stuart England, a cultural and social phenomenon which can be said to have produced a 'public' for that genre. He breaks new ground in placing portrait patronage and production in this era in the broad social and cultural context of post-Reformation England, and in distinguishing between native English provincial portraiture, which was often highly vernacular, and foreign-influenced portraiture of the court and metropolis, which tended towards the formal and 'polite'.

Tittler describes the burgeoning public for portraiture of this era as more than the familiar court-and-London based presence, but rather as a phenomenon which was surprisingly widespread both socially and geographically throughout the realm. He suggests that provincial portraiture differed from the 'mainstream', cosmopolitan portraiture of the day in its workmanship, materials, inspirations, and even vocabulary, showing how its native English roots continued to guide its production. Innovative chapters consider the aims and vocabulary of English provincial portraiture, the relationship of portraiture and heraldry, the painter's occupation in provincial (as opposed to metropolitan) England, and the contrasting availability of materials and training in both provincial and metropolitan areas. The work as a whole contributes to both art history and social history; it speaks to admirers and collectors of painting as well as to curators and academics.

Portraits, Painters, and Publics in Provincial England, 1540—1640

Robert Tittler

Portraits, Painters, and Publics in Provincial England, 1540—1640

Robert Tittler

Author Information

Robert Tittler, Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus, Concordia University, and Adjunct Professor of Art History, Carleton University

Robert Tittler has researched, taught, and published for over forty years, producing ten books and some fifty scholarly articles and essays on the urban, political, social, economic, and cultural history of the Tudor and early Stuart eras. He prefers to work at the edges of his subjects rather in their centres, hoping to knit those subjects together with the edges of adjacent issues. His studies of town halls and political authority (Architecture and Power, 1991), of the impact of the Reformation on urban political life (The Reformation and the Towns, 1998), the experiences of individual urban residents in relation to the whole (Townspeople and Nation, 2001), or of portraiture and civic identity (The Face of the City, 2007), all work towards those ends, as does this present book.

Portraits, Painters, and Publics in Provincial England, 1540—1640

Robert Tittler

Reviews and Awards

"It is to be hoped that this study will be read by art historians of all stripes and that it will help to spark off discussions between the representatives of different regional variants of the Renaissance." - Andrea Galdy, Sehepunkte

"the stories embodied in the portraits examined ... are extraordinary. This is an excellent book." - Kathryn Davies, Journal of British Studies

"The importance of Robert Tittlers new book for anyone interested in British art or the history of the Tudor and early Stuart periods cannot be overstated; indeed it is astonishing that this is the first fully rounded account of the portraiture produced outside aristocratic circles in early modern England. Building on his previous study of civic portraits (The Face of the City, 2007), Tittler applies the approach and skills of an economic and social historian to provide a revisionist, objective and compelling assessment of the factors influencing the emergence of a characteristic English School of portraiture between the age of Holbein and about 1640." - Tara Hamling, Burlington Magazine

"Tittler's book is original not only in its admirable willingness to explore the lesser-known, often nameless, artists of less-populated regions, but also in its thorough contextualization of the growing market for portraiture among the middling class." - Jonathan Rinck, Sixteenth Century Journal

"This book makes a compelling case for the significance of vernacular portraiture to our understanding of the social and cultural history of early modern England ... a richly rewarding read." - Dr Catherine Richardson, University of Kent

"Tittler provides in this important monograph a valuable window into the production of painted portraits by a category of artist until now little-studied within the history of English art." - Dr Helen Pierce, Reviews in History