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i Image and Likeness I: Elizabeth were never officially enacted. of the queen’s portraits, although they to control circulation and the appearance Consequently, there were several attempts both apowerful and awoman. needed to reflect her unique status as recognised, the queen’s public profile Elizabeth’sAs courtiers and statesmen patterns. established on composition based portrait, most of these are versions of the same Elizabeth survive. the As queen rarely sat for her of monarchy. of Many portraits contemporary of visual imagery to project the desired image and her regime made good use of the power most visible rulers in English history. Elizabeth century and Queen Elizabeth became one of the dramatically in the second half of the sixteenth Interest in of the art portraiture increased

here, which depicts Elizabeth in aclear even light. resulting portrait is probably the miniature shown no tree was near, nor any shadow at all’. The to sit in open ‘the alley of agoodly garden, where Hilliard. According to the artist, the queen chose In 1572 Elizabeth sat to the miniaturist Nicholas Painting the Queen to appear youthful even in advancing age. Its persistent use also ensured that she continued that was reused many times throughout her . her approval as this portrait provided aface pattern probably painted from life. It presumably gained most important portraits of the queen and was known as the ‘Darnley portrait’, is one of the The painting of Elizabeth produced around 1575, NPG 2082 c artist, continental unknown an By (‘The Darnley portrait’) Queen Elizabeth I 108 NPG Hilliard, 1572 Nicholas By Queen Elizabeth I toLeft right .1575

i Elizabeth I speak to an elite audience of educated courtiers Sir Lee. Henry These images were designed to was commissionedand by the queen’s champion example, shows her standing on amap of audience; the full-length ‘Ditchley portrait’, for portraits of the queen were produced for acourtly and God-given order. Most of the well-known to serve as symbols of embodied monarchy not so much to work as realistic likenesses but magnificent. These later portraits were designed when Elizabeth’s appearance became increasingly The mid- mark the beginning of aperiod and Symbolism Magnificence

of the Three Goddesses’ combined virtues. queen, who is styled as the single embodiment Here aclassical narrative is used to flatter the miniature of Elizabeth Iand the Three Goddesses. wisdom. This can beseen in asmall cabinet upon her special virtues of , charity and schooled in Renaissance symbolism to reflect a range of emblems that encouraged an audience celebrations. Elizabeth generally with appears chivalric rituals or played arole in court and they may have formed of part elaborate NPG 6947 NPG to Oliver,Attributed Isaac c.1590 Three Goddesses’) the and I (‘Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth I 2561 NPG Younger, c.1592 the By Marcus Gheeraerts (‘The Ditchley portrait’) Queen Elizabeth I toLeft right

many others who owned aportrait of their queen. professional households there gentry and were as the nobility it is likely that among artisan, purchased to order or sold ready-made. well As copies were produced for adomestic market, small-scale painted or Printed images purposes. Different types of image were crafted particular for ofas part an ambitious programme of re-coinage. the newly-minted coins produced in 1558–60 literally everywhere, as her profile appeared upon courtiers. In one respect the queen’s image was Portraits of Elizabeth Iwere not only seen by elite Who Saw the Queen’s Image This pick-up also can found be on our website at npg.org.uk/tudor-pickup NPG 4294 NPG 1565 StevenBy Herwijck, van Queen Elizabeth I