Queen Elizabeth I and the Babington plot. Mezzotint by J.C. Bromley, 1830, after A.W. Devis.

Left, a courtier holds up a framed painting of Babington and his conspirators. The Queen points to the painting and looks at Walsingham, who stands on the right. High on the right wall is a framed painting of Holbein's full-length portrait of King Henry VIII

Anthony Babington was the leader of a "Catholic conspiracy in 1586 to assassinate Queen Elizabeth and free Mary Stewart from imprisonment. This would, the conspirators hoped, be followed by an invasion by the forces of Philip II and the Catholic league in France, leading to the restoration of the Catholic religion. It was the first Catholic plot in which the murder of the queen was an integral part from the beginning."--Oxford dictionary of national biography. The role of the group portrait of the conspirators is unclear

[London] (46 Pall Mall) : Published by R. Bowyer & M.Parkes ; Paris : Treuttel & Co., March 1st. 1830.

1 print : mezzotint, with etching ; image 52.6 x 42.1 cm

Queen Elizabeth, attended by her Secretary, Sir Francis Walsingham, detecting Babington's conspiracy. Painted by A.W. Devis. Engraved by John Bromley. Proof

James Elmes, Annals of the fine arts, London 1817, vol. 1: 252-253 ("The Conspiracy of Babington against Queen Elizabeth, detected by her minister, Sir Francis Walsingham. By Arthur William Devis, Esq. In the centre of the picture is Queen Elizabeth, seated in a richly carved and gilt elbow chair, near a table, covered with green velvet. She is pointing to the picture of Babington and his six associates; and recognising one of them in the person of Barnwell, whom she knew, is pointing it out to her secretary, Sir Francis Walsingham, who stands on her left, decorated with the insignia of Chancellor of the Order of the Garter, with one of the intercepted letters in his hand. Behind him, are three ladies in waiting, the youngest of whom seems surprised at this wicked attempt on the life of her beloved sovereign. Over their heads, on the side of the room, is a whole length portrait of Henry the Eighth. To the right of Her Majesty, behind the table, is a nobleman earnestly viewing the picture, which is supported by the artist himself. On the table is a small Greek Plato, Luther, and another book, in rich velvet bindings. The scene of this picture is laid in Her Majesty's closet, wainscotted with oak, a rich window curtain of crimson damask, with a carved and gilt cornice to correspond with the chairs. Behind this curtain is a large bow window; the upper part of which contains the arms of England, the prince's plume, the portcullis used by the House of Lancaster, and three other crests adopted by Queen Elizabeth. All these are in stained glass; together with the white and red roses united, surmounted with a crown, which is placed underneath the part of the window that is open. Through the window is seen a turret, which terminates this part of the picture. The grouping and arrangement of this picture are in a high degree excellent, and the accessories are arranged and introduced with much propriety. It is no small credit to Mr. Devis's antiquarian researches, that there is nothing introduced in the picture without authority, nor less so to his pictorial abilities, that they are so happily used and appropriated. It is undoubtedly one of the best pictures the room.")

Wellcome Collection 2969773i