THE DARNLEY PORTRAIT ~ 1575
This remarkable painting is one of the most important surviving portraits of Elizabeth I.
It was painted by an unknown Flemish artist.
It’s known as the ‘Darnley portrait’ after a previous owner.
It was almost certainly painted from life and the resulting pattern for the queen’s face, was regularly reused as a template for the remainder of her reign.
It is likely that it was commissioned by a courtier close to the queen.
It is possible that the pendant or the fan may have been a gift from that same individual.
It was the custom for courtiers and members of the nobility to give the queen gifts at New Year.
The colours in this portrait have changed significantly over time.
Analysis has shown that Elizabeth’s extremely pale complexion would originally have been much rosier as the reds in the flesh paint have faded.
The common assumption that Elizabeth always had very pale features appears to be a myth.
However, it is known that in the later part of her reign, she wore extremely large amounts of white make-up.
The whole painting would have once been much more vibrant.
For example, the embroidery on the queen’s dress would have appeared far richer, and the edges of the golden brown pattern may have originally been a reddish purple.
This colour change has been caused by the instability of the blue pigment ‘smalt’.
The masculinity of the queen’s Polish-style doublet in this portrait, helps to create an image of a woman equal to her male counterparts in other European countries.
The exquisitely painted pendant jewel hanging from the queen’s waist, is typical of Renaissance jewels.
It consists of a large red ruby surrounded by Roman gods.
Such jewels were gifts from courtiers or important visitors, and would have been seen to reflect the Queen’s classical learning.
