Also in January 1617…
1st: The Dutch engraver, painter and printmaker Hendrick Goltzius dies aged
58. Goltzius’s royal patrons included the
Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II and prints such as his The Great Hercules and The Four Disgracers series were among the most spectacular of his era. Though a fire badly damaged his right hand when he was a child, the deformation enabled him to hold the engraver’s burin (cutting tool) in a unique way, helping to create his distinctive style. 5th: One of the first performances of John Fletcher’s The Mad Lover is attended by the diarist Lady Anne Clifford. At the time, Lady Anne is fighting a legal battle to inherit her family’s estate as Baroness de Clifford rather than accept £15,000 left to her in her father’s will – although her entitlement dates back to a ruling made by Edward II in the
14th century, she has been passed over in favour of her uncle.
6th: George Villiers is made Earl of Buckingham by James I. Notable for his looks and elegant dancing, the 24 year-old has enjoyed a rapid ascent in court since being appointed to the position of Royal Cup-bearer in 1614, with promotions to Gentleman of the Bedchamber and King’s Master of the Horse soon following. His rise to prominence and influence in public life will continue well into the reign of Charles I.
6th: The native Americans Pocahontas and Tomocomo are among the guests as Ben Jonson’s The Vision of Delight is performed for the first time at the Twelfth Night celebrations in the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace. The masque’s action revolves around welcoming the beginning of Spring in the company of abstract characters such as Delight, Harmony, Grace, Love and Laughter. The music is composed by Nicholas Lanier, who in 1625 will become the first Master of the King’s Music.