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Primary sourcePaintingc. 1585

Sir Walter Raleigh

Nicholas Hilliard · c. 1585

A miniature portrait of Walter Raleigh painted around 1585, showing him as a favoured courtier of Elizabeth I.

A portrait miniature of Raleigh painted the year he was knighted, showing him at the height of his court favour.

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Oval miniature portrait of a man with curly brown hair, a full beard and mustache, and light blue eyes, wearing a large white lace-edged ruff and dark clothing against a blue background.
Nicholas Hilliard, Sir Walter Raleigh, c. 1585. National Portrait Gallery, London.

About this source

What it is

This small oval portrait of Walter Raleigh was painted by the miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard around 1585. It is held by the National Portrait Gallery. The sitter is shown with curly hair, a full beard, and a large lace-edged ruff, the fashionable court dress of the period.

Why it matters

The portrait dates from the year Raleigh was knighted, at the height of his favour with Queen Elizabeth I. Miniatures like this were valuable, personal objects, often exchanged as gifts between courtiers, and this one captures Raleigh's rising status and fashionable self-presentation.

Look closer

  • What does Raleigh's clothing and grooming tell you about his position at court?
  • Why might someone have commissioned such a small, detailed portrait rather than a large one?
  • What can and can't a portrait like this tell us about a person's character?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Sir Walter Raleigh on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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