The National Gallery

The National Gallery is an art museum that was founded in 1824. It holds a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating back from the mid-13th century. Visiting the gallery was a huge help when gathering research for both my makeup and hair assessments, based on the Elizabethan era.

Artist: unknown / Sitter: Queen Elizabeth I
This painting is known as 'The Coronation Portrait' and shows Queen Elizabeth I with her crown, orb and sceptre - showing the symbols of her authority and position within society. The gold cloak she is wearing was known as 'the cloth of gold' which she actually wore for her coronation on 15th January 1559 and was previously owned by Mary I. This is one of my favourite portraits of Queen Elizabeth I because it shows her young and fresh faced. The portrait shows her innocence before she became enveloped in the politics of ruling the country.

Artist: unknown / Sitter: Queen Elizabeth I
This is one of the many portraits of Queen Elizabeth I however research into the painting resulted in many interesting revelations. Firstly this painting was completed after the Queen had died in 1603. In fact this was not all painted at once, it was actually a 17th century portrait that was painted over in the 18th century. Despite this I feel that this portrait represents the Queen perfectly. The orb and sceptre showed her authority over society, whilst the pearls and detailed fabrics of the dress show the Queens wealth. The Queen is portrayed as flawless and strong, exactly the way she demanded herself to be painted.

Artist: Nicholas Hilliard / Sitter: Queen Elizabeth I (1572)
When speaking about the portrait, Nicholas Hilliard (who became Queen Elizabeth I's painter in 1570) explained that the portraits of Elizabeth are not designed for likeness but are instead a representation of the monarch through the emphasis of jewels and the rich material of her clothes. For example in this image the jewel above Elizabeths hand is a phoenix., a mythical bird reborn out of fire. This offers a reference to the Queens unmarried status and her virginity. In addition to this she is also holding a rose with bares reference to both the Virgin Mary and  the ancestral line of the Tudor monarch.

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hilliard-queen-elizabeth-i-l00128
National Portrait Museum