Mary, Queen of Scots being urged by Sir Robert Melville to abdicate (from "Oeuvres de Walter Scott: Histoire d'Écosse," series one, volume 26, chapter 29)

Mary, Queen of Scots|Eugène-Louis Lami|Sir Walter Scott|Furne, Gosselin, Perrotin|Pierre-Léonard Dandeleux

1835 · Etching · Drawings and Prints

Mary, Queen of Scots being urged by Sir Robert Melville to abdicate (from "Oeuvres de Walter Scott: Histoire d'Écosse," series one, volume 26, chapter 29) — Mary, Queen of Scots|Eugène-Louis Lami|Sir Walter Scott|Furne, Gosselin, Perrotin|Pierre-Léonard Dandeleux

This scene, showing an armored man thrusting a sheet of paper at the seated queen, likely represents Sir Robert Melville urging Mary, then imprisoned at Lochleven Castle, to resign the crown of Scotland in favor of her infant son. During their meeting on July 24, 1567, Melville dramatically drew from his scabbard a letter from the English ambassador, which contained a message from Elizabeth supporting his case.

Artist: Mary, Queen of Scots|Eugène-Louis Lami|Sir Walter Scott|Furne, Gosselin, Perrotin|Pierre-Léonard Dandeleux
Date: 1835
Medium: Etching
Department: Drawings and Prints
Credit line: Gift of Susan Dwight Bliss, 1958