Portrait of a Young Man, Probably Robert Devereux (1566–1601), Second Earl of Essex

Nicholas Hilliard painted this miniature of a young man, probably Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex, in 1588 — the year of the Spanish Armada. Essex was Elizabeth I's last favorite, a dashing young courtier who would later lead a failed rebellion and be executed in 1601. Hilliard's miniatures of Essex were widely copied and circulated as tokens of political allegiance in the factional world of the Elizabethan court.

On vellum laid on card, Hilliard achieves characteristic brilliance through the use of unmixed, jewel-like colors and gold detailing. The linear, decorative approach emphasizes pattern and surface — the ruff, embroidery, and hair rendered with calligraphic precision rather than three-dimensional modeling.