Nicholas Hilliard: The Soul of Elizabethan England Early Life and FamilyTraining and ApprenticeshipRoyal Patronage and Artistic FlourishingThe Art of Miniature: Style and SymbolismLegacy and Influence Early Life and Family Nicholas Hilliard (c. 1547 – before 7 January 1619) was born in Exeter, Devon, the son of Richard Hilliard (1519–1594), a goldsmith who became a staunch Protestant during Queen Mary I’s reign. His father's religious convictions led to exile during Mary’s rule, and young Nicholas accompanied John Bodley’s household to Geneva at just ten years old. This formative experien…