Sitter - Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603),
Reigned 1558-1603. Sitter associated with 125 portraits.
Artist - Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger
(1561 or
1562-1636), Painter. Artist associated with 28 portraits, Sitter in 2 portraits.
Why was it painted? It
probably
commemorates an elaborate symbolic entertainment which Lee organised for the
Queen in September 1592, and which may have been held in the grounds of Lee's
house at Ditchley, near Oxford, or at the nearby palace at Woodstock.
What symbolic references are within
the portrait? The portrait shows Elizabeth standing on
the globe of the world, with her feet on Oxford shire. The
stormy sky, the clouds parting to reveal sunshine, and the inscriptions on the
painting, make it plain that the portrait's symbolic theme is forgiveness.
What does the clothing say about
the sitter? The sitters clothing suggests that she is
extremely wealthy as her dress is embroidered
and very elegant.
- In this portrait Queen Elizabeth is standing on a globe which denotes that she has a lot of power and is above everyone else.
- Queen Elizabeth’s dress is very big and puffy and the shoulders on the dress are almost shaped as wings which could connote that she is very powerful and wise.
- Also in the background of the painting half denotes lightning and the other half is a blue sky. This could also fit into showing how powerful she is and how much control she actually has.
References;
Back to topThis portrait (2015) Available at: http://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw02079/Queen-Elizabeth-I-The-Ditchley-portrait (Accessed: 10 December 2015).
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