Scotland.- Nelli (Nicolò) Attributed to, and Peter van Heyden. Two portraits of Mary Queen of Scots, one from "Imagines quorundam principum et illustrium virorum", and the other published in Hieronymous Cock's 'Portraits of European Rulers', engravings, the Nelli a beautiful impression, both trimmed to or within the platemarks, each approx. 180 x 130 mm (7 x 5 1/8 in), tipped onto mounts, gilt borderline and tooled with dates, unframed, [circa 1560s or later]; together with four sheets with two portraits of rulers to each from Hieronymous Cock's 'Portraits of European Rulers', and 9 other royal portraits by various hands, engravings, the Cock's sheets each approx. 245 x 350 mm (9 1/2 x 13 3/4 in), the others various sizes, unframed, 16th to 19th century (15)Provenance:Sir William Stirling-Maxwell (1818-1878); then by descent to the present owners.*** We have been unable to trace any auction records for the portrait of Mary Queen of Scots attributed to Nelli, and only one single record from 1922 for the complete suite published by Bolognino Zaltieri; the BM hold another impression as part of the whole series.