A Courtly Hand: The Life and Art of John de Critz the Elder John de Critz the Elder, a name perhaps less immediately recognizable than his continental contemporaries, nevertheless occupies a pivotal position in the history of English portraiture. Born in 1551, his life unfolded during a period of immense transformation for England – the waning years of the Tudor dynasty and the ascendance of the Stuarts. While details of his early tra…