Richard III was the last plantagenet King of England. He was defeated by Henry Tudor at the Battle of Bosworth Field. This brought to an end the War of the Roses. Richard's  reputation suffered significantly at the hands of Tudor-era writers and propagandists, who, along with Shakespeare, portrayed him as an weak, vain, and ineffective ruler whose deposition by Henry Tudor was justified to prevent national ruin. This negative portrayal served to legitimize the Tudor dynasty, which claimed descent from the Lancastrian line that deposed him. .

This print is made on a single copper plate using acid to etch the drawing into the plate. Inked up in black, the plate is then surface rolled in red and hand gilded to create the finished piece. It is printed on Somerset Velvet, an off-white heavyweight 300 gsm handmade paper from St Cuthbert's Mill in Somerset. The print is in a limited edition of 75 and is signed and numbered by the artist.

RICHARD III

A PORTRAIT OF PERNICIOUS INTENT

£265