Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

1. PORTRAITS OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I
Elizabeth became queen in 1558. In order to gain the support of the population
monarchs used to make a tour of the country. This was not possible for Elizabeth, as
she had many Catholic enemies and it was not considered for her safe to travel around
the country. So Elizabeth chose to use portraits to show herself to her people and
impress their imagination.
ARMADA PORTRAIT (1588)
In this famous portrait of Elizabeth I, the Queen is represented with historical and
symbolical elements.
Elizabeth‘s face has a fixed expression, her complexion is white, her dress is really
rich: in fact we can notice precious fabric, lace, jewels, ample sleeves and skirts. Next
to the Queen, we can see a gold crown.
In this portrait we can find some symbols: the Queen’s right hand rests on a globe and
this represents England’s greatness as a world power. Her fingers cover the Americas:
this indicates England’s control of the seas.
There is also an important historical element: behind Elizabeth, on the left, there are
some English ships, while, on the right, there are Spanish ships defeated by the English
fleet. This represents the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English fleet which
happened in 1588 in the English Channel. England’s victory increased Elizabeth’s
prestige and power in Europe.