January 7 – Nicholas Hilliard

On this day in history, 7th January 1619, the famous Elizabethan and Jacobean goldsmith and miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard was laid to rest at the parish church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London.

Hilliard's exact date of death is not known but he was around 72 years of age when he died.

Hilliard, a Devonshire man, is known for his beautiful portrait miniatures of the English court in the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.

His Pelican portrait and Phoenix portrait of Elizabeth I can be seen below.

I'd highly recommend Dr Elizabeth Goldring's book "Nicholas Hilliard: Life of an Artist".