This is a beautiful etching of the trial of Thomas Wentworth, the Earl of Strafford. It wasdone by Wenceslaus Hollar (1607 - 1677), a celebrated Czech printmaker. The piece istitled in German “Abbildung der Session des Parlaments zu London über den Sentenzdes Grafen von Stafford”. Hollar was born in Prague and died in London; he was knownto German speakers as Wenzel Hollar and to Czech speakers as Václav Hollar, and isparticularly noted for his engravings and etchings. He produced works prolificallythroughout the English Civil War.Strafford was an English statesman and a major figure in the period leading up to theEnglish Civil War. He served in Parliament and was a supporter of King Charles I, thenran into disfavor with Parliament after he offered to bring over the Irish army to subduethe king’s opponents in England. The trial was held in 1641 and Strafford was executedthe same year. The engraving is signed on the plate in the lower left, and the overallsize is 10 5/16 x 11 3/8 in. wide.