From 1558 to 1603, the Virgin Queen successfully reigned England and Ireland and became one of the most influential people we know today. Queen Elizabeth, I was one of the world’s most powerful rulers. Her politics and way of the ruling were greatly welcomed and respected by the people of England. She had hundreds of portraits painted of her throughout time. The portraits painted of her were filled with symbols and dress elements that portrayed her as a powerful, influential and compelling woman which influenced the way her people and others interpreted her who had most likely only seen her through the pieces of art.
Queen Elizabeth the First was born in 1533 to her parents, Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in Greenwich Palace. When King Henry married Anne, he annulled his marriage with Catherine of Aragon which lost Mary, Elizabeth’s half-sister, her position as an heir. Henry married Anne in hopes that she would birth him a son for the throne.
When Elizabeth was just a child, Henry had Anne beheaded because she was found guilty of treason. After her mother’s death, Elizabeth lost her place in the royal succession. It was only eleven days after Anne’s death when Henry VIII married Jane Seymour. Henry and Jane finally had conceived a son in 1537. They named him Edward and he became the first in line for the throne. Edward died at the very young age of 15, which resulted in Jane Grey, Henry’s great-niece, becoming queen. She was only queen for 9 days before she was dethroned.
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This made Mary, Elizabeth’s half-sister queen of England. After 3 years, Mary had died and Elizabeth succeeded to the throne at the age of 25.
The Queen was welcomed with open arms by her people. During her reign, Elizabeth I established Protestantism in England, defeated the Spanish Armada in 1588, maintained peace inside her previously divided country, and created an environment where the arts flourished. Soon, the Elizabethan Era became known as a time of peace because of Elizabeth’s great support for the arts. Although she still was a strong leader and worked proficiently in court, she also took time to enjoy things like fashion, music, and art. (Cooper) During this time, portraiture was a very popular form of painting. The remarkable development of Elizabeth’s person from woman to the icon was executed primarily through visual presentation. Elizabeth had many artists to paint portraits of her. It allowed her to manipulate her image and perfect the way she wanted to be perceived. Portraiture provided Elizabeth with the chance to communicate layers of significance and meaning.
Portraits of royalty were painted very differently than any portraits painted of citizens of England. Instead of portraying the monarch exactly like they were observed, the artists wanted to represent them by using symbolism and exaggerating their features and luxuries to make them seem more powerful and captivating. Queen Elizabeth was a follower of fashion and trends. She believed someone of her social status should dress much more extravagant and luxurious compared to others during this time. She made sure that her ladies were dressed in plain gowns of neutral colors, so they didn’t draw more attention than the Queen was getting. She often wore gowns of vibrant colors and amazing hand embroidery. Many of her gowns had jewels and diamonds applied to them to make sure she outshines everyone in the kingdom. Elizabeth would wear a chemise, a corset, a petticoat, a farthingale, and stockings, all under a giant gown, and added lots of details like standing lace ruffs and wrist ruffs.
The royals at this time used very specific fabrics in their garments like silk, velvet, and erman whereas the commoners usually could only wear things that were neutral in color and natural materials such as wool, linen, and sheepskin. Shown in figure one, there is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I called ‘The Coronation portrait’ and it presents her in an ermine lined cape of gold which she wore when she was crowned Queen on January 15th, 1559. The unknown artist includes her holding the orb and scepter, which both can be seen as symbols of authority and power. The orb shows these symbols because it is a cross above a globe, and it represents ‘Christ’s dominion over the world’, as the Monarch is God’s representative on Earth. Symbolism is shown with the scepter to show authority because it originated in the idea that the ruler was as a shepherd of his people.
At this time, the power that portraits had on influencing people’s opinions and beliefs was becoming more and more significant because much of England was illiterate, so these portraits were very influential and important in defining public opinion.Her portraits circulated around the globe primarily because it was common for monarchs to make a tour of countries and win the support of the people but Queen Elizabeth was not able to do this due to her catholic enemies, her people believed it would be unsafe for her to travel so they sent portraits of her around to show the people. Elizabeth I’s portraits gave her a level of control that she didn’t possess over her physical appearance as she aged. Elizabeth controlled the images that circulated of her very closely. In 1596, she ordered that all portraits made of her by unskilled ‘common painters’ were to be burnt and that subsequent portraits should be passed by her court painter, although it was extremely difficult to make sure no other portraits were painted.
Elizabeth was often portrayed as an icon, an emblem of the British monarchy. When painting portraits of Elizabeth, artists used many different types of symbolism. Most of the symbols used to portray her were meant to make her seem very powerful. Some symbols in the portraits were the use of space. Many portraits of Elizabeth show her wearing garments that take up a large amount of space. Some artists show this by exaggerating her type of dress or how they position her in the portrait. In figure 2, Queen Elizabeth takes up most of the space and is the main focal point. The artist shows her wearing a very large gown and standing lace ruff to signify her importance and authority. In figure 3, the portrait was painted in 1592 by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Elizabeth is standing on top of a map of the world. This portrait had many different aspects that are symbolic, for instance, I believe stormy sky behind her and the sun peeking through the clouds in the foreground symbolizes a difficult and hard path or background in the past but a bright or successful future is ahead and I believe it’s also a symbol of change and strong emotion in the painting.
The way she is positioned in the photo makes me believe the artist wanted the viewers to see her as a strong ruler, as she is standing on top of a map. By showing Queen Elizabeth standing on a map of the world, it suggests that she had authority over not only England but the world, which creates her to be a very Godly ruler. Queen Elizabeth is the main focus of this piece which can be attributed to her dress. This gown takes up the majority of the painting which draws your eyes straight on her and signifies her importance. The artist exaggerates her gown and her ruffs to make sure that the viewers catch the importance of her within the painting. Queen Elizabeth’s portraiture did not begin only when she became queen, but as she was growing up as well. In figure 4, Queen Elizabeth is depicted as a young princess. You can see how in this painting, she is less of an object of authority and more of just a young girl. Her pose suggests less-powerful energy and as she’s holding a book, it implies that she was literate and smart, unlike most children at this time. Her dress, however, is still very big but not as extravagant as what she is painted in later years. She does have many details and specific dress attributions that make it obvious she comes from royalty. In figure 10, She is shown as a young adult. In this painting, she wears an erman vest with an all-black gown.
The gown she is wearing is very modest and shows almost no skin. Her neck ruff comes up to her chin so her whole neck is covered and she has big bulky jewelry on which not so subtly shows her royalty and importance, even as a young woman. The queen is shown in a very lavish, expensive-looking gown covered in detail. The jewels, embroidery, and materials that make up her dress suggest that this was a very expensive gown, probably made for a very special event for which she had it made. Her pose in this photo gives a feeling of hierarchy. With her shoulders back, standing up straight and the positioning of her hand, she gives of a strong sense of confidence and intimidation. In figure 8, Elizabeth is shown with three goddesses, the artist painted the Queen while telling the story of an old legend called “Judgement of Paris”. In the story, a golden apple is given to the fairest of the three goddesses by Paris. The artist changes the story and gives the golden orb to Elizabeth, suggesting that she had all of the virtues.
Another significant symbol throughout the portraits are the use of color to convey a message. Specific colors have been used by artists to represent different aspects or give of a certain mood. Many common colors I found to be used in her portraits were tones of red, orange, and yellow. The color red when used in paintings often is associated with power, passion, and love. I believe artists used this to create a version of Queen Elizabeth that was not seen by the people. It is also thought to stimulate the senses and provide energy. Orange tones in paintings portray a sense of energy that is less intense than red. A brighter orange tone shows optimism, stability, and resolution. This could have been shown throughout her portraits to show that Queen Elizabeth was a smart, level-headed ruler. Yellow can sometimes be associated with confidence and the status quo. I believe this gave people trust and belief in Elizabeth’s ruling and power, by showing her with a color that reflects boldness and self-confidence. I believe all three of these colors are shown vibrantly and are suitable in figures 6 and 7. I believe that the use of color throughout the portraits was effective and help give specific feelings that are not so obvious.
In figure 9 there is a piece that was created after the death of Elizabeth. The artist engraved her portrait. In this piece you can still see the amazing significance she had on the people, making portraits of her decades after she was gone. The artist showed her in the usual, big, extravagant dresses that she commonly wore, but he also showed her to be older in the portrait. You can see signs of aging in the Queen, which I noticed a lot of artists avoided when she was alive. She definitely left an impact on the world even after she was gone and you can see it in how artists still portray her today. Queen Elizabeth I’s reign will forever be remembered for her how she ruled and the influence she had on people, but we would not know nearly as much about her if we did not have these portraits of her to analyze and study. Portraits symbolize the value and worth of the individual in society. To capture a loved one or to honor a special individual on canvas is a timeless human need and expression. The significance that Queen Elizabeth’s portraits had on her people and even society today is still so powerful and relevant.
Queen Elizabeth Is One Of The Most Powerful Rulers In The World. (2021, Dec 05). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/queen-elizabeth-is-one-of-the-most-powerful-rulers-in-the-world/
