Robert Peake the elder

Robert Peake the Elder (c. 1551-1619 ) was an English painter under Elizabeth I and James I. In 1604 he became the official portraitist of the heir, Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales appointed. From 1607 he shared with John de Critz the same post at King James I. Peake is often apostrophized as " the Elder " to distinguish it from his son, the painter William Peake (about 1580-1639 ), and, by his grandson Sir Robert Peake (ca. 1605-1667 ) to distinguish.

Peake was the only one born in England painter of a group of four artists whose intention is strongly resembled. The others were De Critz, Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger and the miniature painter Isaac Oliver. These painters specialize between 1590 and 1625 on colorful full-length costume pieces that were unique in England in that time. It is not always possible to determine the authorship of the many portraits exactly similar to were Peake, De Critz, Gheeraerts and their assistants in their style of painting.