(b ?Rouen, 1558-68; d London, bur 2 Oct 1617).

In the aliens' return for 1571 Isaac's father states that he and his family had come to England about three years earlier. Isaac must therefore have been born in 1568 or earlier. His earliest dated miniature is Portrait of a Woman Aged Twenty (1587; Duke of Buccleuch priv. col.). On the assumption that he began his training at the age of fifteen and served seven years apprenticeship, he may thus have been born c. 1565, a hypothesis that is generally accepted. Oliver's father is recorded in Geneva in 1557, when the young Hilliard was there, and it is possible that an association was then formed that led to Oliver becoming Hilliard's pupil some 20 years later. Writing in 1598 Richard Haydocke referred to Oliver as the 'well-profiting' pupil in limning of Hilliard.

Part of the Oliver family

See the Abbreviations for further details.

---

Olivier, Isaac (ōlĭv'ēər) , 1556?–1617, English miniature painter. Oliver was a worthy follower of Hilliard as miniature painter to Elizabeth's court. His work, more naturalistic than Hilliard's, is to be seen in the British and the Victoria and Albert museums, London, and in the Cleveland Museum. His son and pupil, Peter Oliver, c.1594–1648?, was also an important miniaturist. He painted numerous watercolor copies of old masters, most of which are now in Windsor Castle.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)