Joseph Nash (British, 1808-1878) Queen Elizabeth I and her privy council

Joseph Nash (British, 1808-1878) Queen Elizabeth I and her privy council signed and dated 'J.Nash .1862.' (lower left) gouache and watercolour heightened with gum arabic 56 x 94cm (22 1/16 x 37in). Footnotes: Joseph Nash was born in Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and attended Manor House School in Croydon which his father owned. Whilst in his early twenties, he studied drawing with Augustus Pugin, and it is therefore no great surprise that throughout his artistic career he specialised in watercolour depictions of British buildings, mainly historic. His works were widely reproduced in print, his success in this field culminating in 1849 with the completion of his four volume Mansions of England in the Olden Time. As in the present lot, this publication concerned itself with history through the accurate depiction of buildings and interiors populated by historical figures. These works give a sense of how buildings and spaces would have looked and been used in the past. In the present lot we can see a young Queen Elizabeth with her Privy Council of advisors; sitting to her right is her most trusted advisor, William Cecil, Lord Burghley. Although the council was made up of nineteen men, depicted here are twenty-four, perhaps indicating the presence of some other nobles or foreign dignitaries. Hanging on the walls around the room are portraits of the Queen's ancestors, notably her father, Henry VIII, can be seen to the far left; each portrait can be seen as a symbol of Elizabeth's claim to the crown. The level of detail is impressive, with exquisitely detailed costumes, wallpaper that can be seen to peel at its edges, crested paperwork strewn on the table, a glove fallen on the ground, and an expansive landscape shown through the stained-glass windows. Although it is not clear which building this council is taking place in, given its frequency of use by the Queen, proximity to the Thames, and the buildings on the far-side, it seems likely to be the Palace of Whitehall. Having said this, the sailing ships on the Thames, which would not have been able to pass Old London Bridge, may point to it being either the Tower of London or the Palace of Placentia at Greenwich. The present work is one of Nash's masterpieces. It epitomises his interest in history, interiors, and architecture, and it stands alone in terms of the scale and the level of detail achieved. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing