Engraving with drypoint of the kings and queens of England, from William I to Mary I. Sheet one of nine, of an incomplete series, with a portrait of William I. To the far left, a table bearing the orb and sceptre beneath a canopy. To the right, a figure of a herald dressed in a royal tabard, stands holding a volume and scroll, to his left the whole length figure of William I. The King is pictured standing, clad in armour, mantle, and with a helmet with visor raised, holding a sword in right hand and carrying a shield over right shoulder. In the background there is a faint landscape, depicting settlements beside a river. Cut down.  

This incomplete series of portraits of English kings from 1066 until 1584, spans 23 rulers from over five centuries of English history. The figures, designed and engraved by Hendrick Goltzius, proved enduringly popular and were copied by artists and engravers as late as the mid seventeenth centuries. In this particular series, many of the plates have been cut down, and the final portrait of Elizabeth I is missing. For a complete series printed in Harlem in 1585, see RCIN 606396.a-g.