Reverse of late 16th century painting of Sir Christopher Hatton
Sir Christopher Hatton was born into a wealthy family in Northamptonshire in 1540, he studied at Oxford and entered the Inner Temple, a professional law association, in 1560. Dancing at a Masque Ball for the Inner Temple, he attracted the attention of Queen Elizabeth I with his fine footwork and became known as the Dancing Chancellor. Hatton rose through court circles to positions of power and was favoured by the Queen, who showered him with gifts of land and gold. Their close relationship fuelled gossip and Mary Queen of Scots alleged that they were lovers. In 1583 Hatton began the building of Holdenby House which was at the time the largest privately owned Elizabethan house in England, as large as Hampton Court Palace.
Hatton’s portrait is encircled by signs of the zodiac and planets portrayed as classical gods, creating a horoscope chart of a specific date and time. This has been identified as Tuesday 12 December 1581. Hatton’s palatial estate at Holdenby was completed in 1581, it is possible that the painting was commissioned to celebrate its completion and intended for display there. The rear of the painting is dedicated to the theme of time, with a winged figure called Tempus (Latin for time) standing on clouds above a series of symbols representing the passing of time.
Number 50 of the objects selected for the A History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition 2025.
Maquette (preliminary model) for Madonna and Child statue at St Matthews Church, Northampton. It was commissioned from the now-famous sculptor Henry Moore.
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The Trustees of the British Museum
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NMAG
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NMAG
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NMAG