So we have been studying the Elizabethan Era in Solent and have been asked to choose a portrait that particularly interested us and visually engaged us. This is to help us further our study of the make-up and Hair styles of the era and also so we have a clear understanding of what is happening in the portraits on a symbolic level.
The portrait that I found particularly visual engaging was The Plimpton Sieve Painted by George Gower. The painting itself is an oil on panel painting and was painted in 1579.
(Image taken from Folger Shakespeare Library)
I chose this portrait because it was one of the final portraits that was done of Elizabeth and it highlights her at her height of power. It is also very symbolic in many ways. First lets explore the symbols in this painting and what's going on in it and what it is all symbolising. The Sieve in her left hand is a symbol of chastity and purity, thus reinforcing Elizabeth's images of the virgin queen. The globe in the background is thought to refer to Elizabeth's explorers discovering and finding new lands. The saying above the globe is written in Italian and is suppose to mean ''I see everything and much is lacking''
All of the colours she has on where colours worn by only the most elite of people, Red, gold, white etc where worn by elite and royals because they were considered expensive and precious. She is lavishly dressed wearing a jewelled head cap and a pearl edged veil which hangs from the top of the cap.
This portrait was painted by George Gower. George was an English painter and he did most of Elizabeth's portraits and if he wasn't painting them he was inspecting them to make sure they were suitable to be released to public for viewing. I wasn't able to find out what the symbol on the left above the sieve was suppose to reference to.
(Information taken from Folger Shakespare Library accessed on Mon 7th October 2013)
Now lets observed the portrait from a Hair and Make-up point of view. First of all the most obvious is that she is not smiling, this is thought to be because of poor hygiene back in this era they did not have facilities to wash and clean their teeth so their teeth would have been rotted and back if they had any teeth left. The other and next most obvious thing is that her face is abnormally white, This was done for a number of reasons to cover scars and to make the skin look flawless. She also has a high forhead and thin arching eyebrows. Elizabeth wore wigs a lot so this would suggest a high forehead and unnatural hair line.
Hair and Make-up design influenced power. If you look at Elizabeths hair in this portrait for example, it is quite big, and really makes a statement. If you look at her earliest portraits, she has long flowing hair which doesn't have such a power impact in the effect that her later portraits do. Her hair is also darker in her later portraits. She projects the symbol of female power in every portrait and always has a message to send in them which is quite inspiring even in todays world.
(Information gathered from notes taken in class on Tues 1st October and from a separate class on 7th October and also from the film Elizabeth 1998 and Elizabeth the golden age 2003 )
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