Dat Art Though

Henry Frederick (1594–1612), Prince of Wales, with Sir John Harington (1592–1614) in the Hunting Field, 1603
Robert Peake the Elder (British, ca. 1551–1619)
Oil on canvas, 79 1/2 x 58 in

The painting was made on the transition from the Elizabethan era (1558–1603) to the Jacobean age (1603–25), and, on a larger scale, between the Tudor (1485–1603) and Stuart (1603–49, 1660–1714) Periods. Jacob XI or I, depending on where you lived, came to the English throne the very year this painting was made, in 1603. King Jacob was Prince Henry Frederick's (who is standing) Father. The artist was an English artist who studied in London. The woods are probably fake as all get out. Just as the architectural background of Peake's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth was symbolically fabricated, the background was an artistic choice and was not a real scene. Peake later basically copied the image except inserted a new friend instead of the knight, and put a new background. It honestly felt intellectually dishonest.

    Starting with the title, the painting shows Henry Frederick, the Prince of Wales, and Sir John Harington in a Hunting Field after they have taken down a deer. Sir Harington, aged 11 is kneeling to hold down the stag while Prince Henry, aged 9, draws his sword to give a final blow. The sword has embedded jewels. The boys have clothes with fine embroidery and silk sashes, though the prince has much more as well as a frilled collar. The gold embroidery on the Prince's shorts resembles a cross. The both have horns, and the prince has a belt with a jewel of St. George. Near each boy is his coat of arms hanging from a twig. For each boy, there is also the date of creation, 1603, and each boy's age. In very fine gold print, on the hat and to the right of the stag, there there are the names of the boys. The Prince's says "Henry Frederick, Prince of Whales, Son of King James the 1st," signaling that Jame's has already ascended to the throne in England, and that Peake hails from the English perspective.

    There is also a dog, that likely helped in the hunt, as well as a horse. The horse wears fine fabric and golden stirrups. There is a man, likely a servant, who is mostly obscured by the horse. The woods in the background hold rolling hills, six other deer, a stream with some water coming through a rock, and a bridge. In the distance, there is a castle.

    The piece is a dual portrait, but with an outdoor setting that was pioneered by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, a Flemish contemporary of Frederick's. The piece,in respect to Prince Henry, exemplifies the full-length portrait, which became popular in the 1590's.

4/5. The piece uses a large amount of green, even with clothing, which emphasizes the natural setting. The rather novel outdoor setting shows a more informal and active representation of the prince. The use of gold detailing communicates the wealth of the subjects without being overly gaudy. There are several ways in which the artist marks the Prince as superior to the knight. The Prince has fancier embroidery and more silk, showing the Prince's comparative economic strength. The fact that the Prince is the one that will finish off the stag, showing his superior social roll in any proceedings, as does the Prince's physical position has higher in the piece. The fact that the knight's hat is on the ground also shows reverence to the Prince, like how gentlemen took of their hats to ladies during the period. And really, fancy hats is how all societies show the importance of specific individuals. The removal of the hat shows that the knight is nothing in the presence of the Prince. Prince's coat of arms is also shown as above Sir Harington's on the tree, signaling his family's greater importance. It is also significant that the arms are on trees, because, since European Royalty are all inbred (sorry for the harsh generalization, but it was fun to type), the two families are probably related somehow on the family tree. The use of the coat of arms shows the importance of family in the British Isles in the 1600's. Family is what got the prince his title, his fancy clothes and his servant in the background. (Went totally angry peasant right there)

The inferiority of the man behind the horse is heavily shown. He is not listed in the title, his name, arms and age are not given in the pices. Most of his body his hidden by the horse, and his clothing is plain. Through these methods, the artist does his best to marginalize the man in comparison to the two boys.