Adrian Vanson

Adrian Vanson (died c. 1602) was court portrait painter to James VI of Scotland.

Adrian succeeded Arnold Bronckorst as court painter in Scotland in May 1584,[1] and his appointment was subsequently confirmed by royal letter on 20 August 1584.[2] Adrian Vanson was paid £8-10s in June 1581 for two pictures sent to Theodore Beza.[3] A letter by James VI's former tutor Peter Young accompanied pictures of John Knox and George Buchanan sent to Geneva in November 1579 for the woodcuts in Beza's Icones (1580). The Scottish portraits arrived too late for the book, and the woodcuts of Knox and a James VI, thought to be by Vanson, were first published in Simon Goulart's edition of the Icones in 1581. The picture of George Buchanan, which was never published in Beza's Icones, but may have appeared in other later works, is attributed to Bronckorst.[4]

Vanson also painted ceremonial spears and banners for the coronation of Anne of Denmark. When he was made a burgess of Edinburgh, it was hoped he would teach his craft to apprentices.[5] He may have been 'Lord Seton's painter', who was recorded drawing portraits for coins at the mint in Edinburgh.[6]

Attributed portraits include James VI; Anne of Denmark; Patrick Lyon, Lord Glamis; Sir Thomas Kennedy of Culzean; Agnes Douglas, Countess of Argyll.[7] Vanson's James VI of circa 1585 survives at Edinburgh castle. In May 1586 a French ambassador in Scotland, the Baron d'Esneval, promised to get Mary, Queen of Scots a copy of a recent portrait of James VI from the only painter in Edinburgh.[8] There had been rumours of an embassy to Denmark to discuss the king's marriage in April 1586.[9] It is thought the picture at Edinburgh Castle was made by Vanson for this embassy or a similar purpose.[10]

Adrian was married to Susanna de Colone, an active business woman in Edinburgh. Her son or brother was the portrait painter Adam de Colone. Although the family were of Flemish origin, Vanson's relative or brother Abraham Vanson was also in Edinburgh working as a goldsmith. After Adrian's death, in 1610 Susanna petitioned the king for outstanding payments.[11]

External links

Footnotes

  1. ^ Thomson, Duncan, Painting in Scotland 1570-1650, National Galleries of Scotland, (1975), 25.
  2. ^ Register of the Privy Seal of Scotland, vol. 8, (1982), 396, no. 2287, 20 August 1584 to 'Hadrian Fansoun.'
  3. ^ Thomson, Duncan, Painting in Scotland, (1975), 25-26; citing NAS E21//62 f.135v.
  4. ^ Cameron, J. K., 'Further information on Portraits of George Buchanan', SHR, vol. 42, no.134, part 2 (Oct. 1963), 135-142: Thomson (1975) does not discuss the Buchanan.
  5. ^ Extracts from the records of the burgh of Edinburgh, 1573-1589, Scottish Burgh Records Society, (1882), 446; 31 December 1585, 'Adrian Vanyone, Dutchmen.'
  6. ^ Thomson, Duncan, Painting in Scotland, (1975), 25.
  7. ^ Thomson, Duncan, Painting in Scotland, (1975), 25-31.
  8. ^ Strickland, Agnes, Letters of Mary Stuart, vol. 3. London (1843), 194: Labanoff, A., vol. 6, 270-1, Mary had asked d'Esneval; "Je vous prie me recouvrer de mon filz ung sien pourtraict en grand, faict sur sa personne propre," Chartley 30 April 1586.
  9. ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 8 (1914), nos 356, 362, 365.
  10. ^ See 'information from Philip Mould' in external links.
  11. ^ Apted and Hannabuss, Dictionary of Painters in Scotland, SRS (1978) 98-99.
Preceded by
Arnold Bronckorst		 Painter at the Scottish royal court
1581–1602		 Succeeded by
Jacob de Wet