Tudor Art- Royal Portraits- Part 4

It is interesting that although Henry VIII had tried so much to have a son and heir, it was a daughter that was meant to continue his dynasty and become even more famous that her father. Elizabeth, the second daughter of the king, was greeted with disappointment when she was born because everyone hoped for a healthy boy. The girl lost her mother Anne Boleyn at the age of 3 and until she eventually succeeded to the throne of England her life was often troubled.

She became queen in 1558 and reigned for 45 years; more than any other Tudor monarch. She famously never married and managed to run her kingdom and win every enemy till the end of her life. An intelligent and potent ruler, Elizabeth realized, like her father had done almost 30 years before her, that her image was an important tool in her reign. 

The Darnley Portrait, 1575, oil on panel, National Portrait Gallery, London

Especially, in the portraits of the second half of her reign, the queen was presented glorious, majestic in rich clothes, always looking out of the boundaries of the painting. In the Darnley and Ditchley Portraits from 1575 and 1592 respectively, nobody could mistake the status of the sitter or question her absolute power. The portraits are stylized and although the queen aged she is always represented youthful, in the prime of her power.

The Ditchley Portrait, Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, 1592, oil on canvas, National Gallery, London

 

 

 

 

 Pictures from: http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html

Artwork of the day

The Madonna of the Pinks ('La Madonna dei Garofani'), Raphael, 1506-1507 oil on yew, National Gallery, London

Among the most famous painters of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael was born exactly 528 years ago on 6th April 1483 and also died on a 6th of April in 1520. 

This small painting deals with a subject with which the artist was very familiar: the Virgin Mary with the infant Jesus. The painting has been famous since the time of its creation. Various copies have been made and in the 19th and most of the 20th century it was questioned whether this was the original. Close visual examination revealed that this is actually a work by Raphael himself.

Mother and child are represented seated interacting with each other, showing emotions that would occur between a young mother and her baby and forming a very realistic and tender scene. They hold pinks, a symbol of marriage. The Virgin Mary is therefore not only the mother but also the bride of Christ.

Picture from:

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/raphael-the-madonna-of-the-pinks-la-madonna-dei-garofani

Artwork of the day

Philip II and Mary I, 16th c probably 1558, oil on panel, Woburn Abbey

A dual portrait of Mary and her husband was probably completed shortly before her death. The couple sits in an interior the one next to the other looking at the viewer. At their feet are two dogs, perhaps symbolizing fidelity in their marriage. This is however the only symbol of intimacy between the two and the portrait is a great pictorial representation of how Philip felt about the marriage: a political union aiming at strengthening the role of Spain in Europe.

Picture from: http://www.bridgemanart.com

Tudor Art- Royal Portraits- Part 3

The reign of Henry VIII’s first two heirs was short. Edward VI was 9 years old when he inherited the throne of his father and 15 when he died. His portraits followed the pattern of his predecessor and the young king looked in official painting like a mini version of Henry VIII. Dressed in similar luxurious clothes, the boy poses in Henry’s iconic posture looking directly at the viewer.

Edward VI, 1547, oil on panel, National Portrait Gallery, London

Edward and his regents were devout Protestants and their goal was to continue the religious reformation Henry had started. As long the Edward didn’t have children on his own however, the next heir to the throne was his Catholic sister Mary, the daughter of Henry and his first queen Katharine of Aragon. When the young king fell seriously ill and the problem of his succession was imminent, he decided to change his father’s law of succession and designated as his heir Lady Jane Grey, descendant Henry VIII’s sister, Mary. Jane remained queen for just a few days and thus she didn’t manage to leave any official portraits from her time in the throne. Mary managed to regain what was hers and became queen of England having as her main aim to re establish Catholicism in her country. The following portrait was probably painted in 1554 and the necklace Mary wears is thought to be the one given to her by Philip of Spain at the time of their wedding. Mary chose a Spanish husband (her mother Katharine of Aragon was also Spanish) ignoring the reactions of her people who feared the presence of a Spanish King on their throne. Mary however was determined and the inclusion of her husband’s wedding presence in an official portrait would certainly send the message.

Queen Mary I by Hans Eworth, 1554, oil on panel, National Portrait Gallery, London

The marriage was however unhappy. Philip was constantly absent; it was rumoured that he was not attracted to his wife and the queen had two phantom pregnancies. This is an aspect of Mary that is not particularly stressed as she is most often referred as bloody Mary, the woman who killed thousands of Protestants in her attempt to convert the English to Catholicism. Mary’s story however is among the most tragic of the Tudor dynasty. She was an extremely unhappy individual, rejected by her father in her teens when Henry VIII tried to divorce her mother and marry Anne Boleyn, losing her royal title and always feeling a stranger in a Protestant court; a woman seeking for love but who never found it and who eventually died childless, still quite young, leaving inevitably the throne to her father’s last surviving child: Elizabeth. 

Pictures from:  

http://www.tudorhistory.org/

Artwork of the day

The Grandstand Fresco, c. 1450 BC, Archaeological Museum, Herakleion, Crete

Groups of wealthy Minoan women are often depicted wearing elegant dresses, jewellery and having elaborate hairstyles that echo to a high status appearance and a competitive behaviour that is part of their strategy for maintaining social control.

The Grandstand Fresco is part of the miniature frescoes found within the Palace of Knossos and most probably depicts the tripartite shrine of the palace. The fresco approximately dates to 1450BC and it has been greatly restored by Evans.

In the Grandstand Fresco, the crowds of men and women watching some sort of a court festival differ so much from each other. The artist chooses to emphasize partly the women’s presence and superiority by creating an almost modern time rococo atmosphere contrary to the smaller size women who may be of a lower social status and to men who are all displayed in an identical manner and who give a chaotic sense that characterizes large crowds of people. The highlighted women although being fewer in number, they are the protagonists of the scene because of their large size pointing though at their importance as individuals or even members of special groups within Minoan society. Concentration on their elegant appearance besides indicating that they belong to the highest level of Minoan society, it may denote a change in the social identity of women who use the attire as their key strategy to advocate their power to similar social human groupings. Minoan female dresses are for the first time so much emphasized in the Neopalatial Period that is at a time period when woman instead of being represented as a mother (as it used to), she is depicted as an attractive mate.

Today's artwork is a generous contribution of Eleftheria Pavli, BA, MA

Artwork of the day

The Chieftain Cup from Aghia Triada, c. 1550-1450 BC, stone, Archaeological Museum, Herakleion, Crete

A group of Minoans that called for the special attention of the elders were the youth. For this reason the Minoan society had priest-leaders who were responsible for the taking care of the young Cretans until the latter became men. These leaders were the supervisors of the closing stages in the initiation of a youth into manhood. A ceremony which involved the rites of passage of most probably local aristocratic youths is likely to be depicted on the Chieftain Cup from Aghia Triada according to one of the various interpretations of the relief scene. Two male figures are represented confronting each other. The young Minoan on the left with the arm over his shoulder (the initiate) is shown receiving orders from his leader-chief before whom he stands (actually he is bending as an act of respect). The leader appears to be slightly larger with the arm stretched out holding a staff in a pose of command, wearing jewellery, high boots and having the characteristic hairstyle and garment (the Minoan lowing cloth) that signifies his role as the priest-ruler of a group. The Chieftain Cup highlights the importance of leadership in Neopalatial Crete that as a principle it started being introduced to the Minoans from a very young age and it was determinant in the shaping of the Minoan personality. Apart from this explanation, the scene on the Chieftain Cup has been interpreted as a king before a god, as a young aristocratic ruler -a prince- who is standing outside his palace in a commanding pose giving orders to one of his officials, or as two young Minoans playing with each other. 

Today's artwork is a generous contribution of Eleftheria Pavli, BA, MA

Artwork of the day

Anne of Cleves, Hans Holbein, 1539, oil on canvas, Louvre, Paris

 

There is a great number of portraits from Henry VIII's period. Some were used for propaganda; others served the role photographs play for us today. In the latter category belongs today’s artwork. The portrait of Anne of Cleves, a Dutch princess, was painted by Hans Holbein for a very specific reason. It was to be taken to the king as a picture of the woman who was to become his fourth wife. Henry said yes; Anne came to England and Henry instantly disliked her claiming he would marry her only to satisfy his realm. Anne became queen but the king was never able to see her as his wife suggesting he was not able to perform his marital duties because his consort was so ugly and looked like a ‘mare of Flanders’. Soon after their wedding he was involved in an affair with the teenager Katherine Howard who became wife number 5.

Anne agreed quickly to the annulment and remained in England where the king gave her a number of residences and sufficient money to lead a comfortable and independent life, very few women of her time would ever enjoy. She remained in good terms with Henry and his three children and probably made the best deal than any of Henry’s six wives.

Why Henry disliked Anne so much remains a mystery, as the portrait by Holbein could hardly explain the king’s behaviour. It has been suggested that the painting was not totally true to reality, however this is probably not true as the artist continued to enjoy Henry’s favour.

Picture from: www. bridgemanart.com/