Contemporary Elizabeth

This image interested me as it is unlike many of the contemporary portrayals of Queen Elizabeth I. The links to the Queen are not as obvious as they appear in so many other portraits, first of all I immediately thought of it as Elizabethan due to the light skin and orange hair - just like many of the other images. However what drew me to this was the completely black gown and high neck collar. During the Elizabethan era black material represented wealth, something that can be found in many of Queen Elizabeth I's portraits, and the high neck collar was is an iconic reference to the tudor period, seen in almost all portraits from that era.

I like this image because the make-up is not typically Elizabethan, however it does remind me of the orange hair and the rouged lips make a great contemporary reference to make-up in the times of Queen Elizabeth I.


(left picture) Artist - unknown, Sitter - Queen Elizabeth I
(right picture) Model - unknown, photographer - unknown

http://www.gdfalksen.com/post/71438339340
http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/236x/e0/06/27/e00627e194155799e5cd1ab2443a688c.jpg