Elizabethan Portrait

Unknown Artist. 1575. Oil Paint on Panel. Available to view at:
http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitConservation/mw02075/Queen-Elizabeth-I?search=sp&sText=queen+elizabeth+1&firstRun=true&rNo=5#images

The 1575 portrait is full of propaganda and props that signify so many meanings! The background is black, a colour that was hard to maintain in fabrics, which also showed the wealth of whoever could afford to maintain it. Is it ironic that the Queen is wearing in a veil when she never married? Around the time of the portrait many men were trying to win her hand but could the veil represent that she was already married to her country? 

The Queen's pale skin shows her wealth and status but also shows purity and innocence, a look many tried to achieve in order to attract rich men. However, men wanted to see the lady blushing which showed emotion; a quality desired by man. Queen Elizabeth may have painted her face with substances like boiled egg whites and talcum powder to avoid men being able to see her blush; the Queen would not have wanted to be desired as her image was always portrayed  to be as 'The Virgin Queen'. Plus, she considered herself to be married to her kingdom. 

The necklace around her neck is the last gift given to her by Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester who was a suitor for her hand in marriage for many years but remained friends until his death. Its weird how the necklace is styled; circled to the right maybe to show Dudley is close to her heart, but not the one that holds it, because of course that was England.

The Queen's gown had gold embellishment once again to show wealth. Orange was seen as a colour for the lower classes, maybe the Queen has this on her gown to show that they are included and are a part of England; they haven't been forgotten. Against the gown the Queen is holding a bunch of feathers which could signify her wisdom and the vast amount of knowledge that she did have. The Queen was said to speak many languages which may be why the feathers are different colours to show the different countries. There is symbolism in the portrait to show that the Queen was the one with all the power, as women were seen as the weaker sex. 

'I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too.'

 Queen Elizabeth I. The Spanish Armada 1588. http://tudorhistory.org/primary/tilbury.html