Show me:
and
Clear all filters

  • 35 items
  • 25 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,435 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 872 items
  • 4 items
  • 220 items
  • 13,062 items Explore
  • 209 items Explore
  • 1,225 items Explore
  • 8,489 items Explore
  • 5,043 items Explore
  • 2 items Explore
  • 167 items Explore
  • 12,981 items Explore
  • 13,621 items Explore
  • 4,807 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 5 items
  • 153 items Explore
  • 2,009 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 4,757 items Explore
  • 17 items Explore
  • 437 items Explore
  • 266 items
  • 19,939 items Explore
  • 34 items Explore
  • 1,924 items Explore
  • 1,083 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 2,051 items Explore
  • 449 items Explore
  • 917 items Explore
  • 1 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 7 items
  • 20,310 items Explore
  • 800 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 73 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 797 items
  • 20 items
  • 4 items
  • 26 items
  • 61 items
  • 28 items
  • 319 items Explore
  • 6 items
  • 44 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 2 items
  • 2 items
  • 7 items
  • 1 items
  • 121 items Explore
  • 119 items
  • 1 items
  • 975 items Explore
  • 812 items
  • 95 items
  • 27 items
  • 107 items
  • 37,006 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,869 items Explore
  • 1,527 items Explore
  • 403 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 11,191 items Explore
  • 9,684 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1 items
  • 38 items
  • 3 items
  • 4 items
  • 6,778 items Explore
  • 7,357 items Explore
  • 4,536 items Explore
  • 1,885 items Explore
  • 1,192 items Explore
  • 22,423 items Explore
  • 3,663 items Explore
  • 17 items
  • 5 items
  • 334 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,367 items Explore
  • 23 items Explore
  • 352 items Explore
  • 796 items Explore
  • 1,088 items Explore
  • 513 items Explore
  • 1,144 items Explore
  • 89 items
  • 125 items Explore
  • 6,950 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 310 items
  • 4 items
  • 2 items
  • 63 items
  • 2 items
  • 2,937 items Explore
  • 1,582 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 203 items
  • 91 items
  • 22,078 items Explore
  • 1,245 items Explore
  • 138 items
  • 843 items Explore
  • 32 items
  • 132 items Explore
  • 40 items
  • 20 items
  • 281 items
  • 313 items
  • 685 items Explore
  • 346 items Explore
  • 2,429 items
  • 2,535 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,394 items Explore
  • 41,548 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 3,293 items Explore
  • 275 items Explore
  • 8,656 items Explore
  • 31 items
  • 25 items
  • 304 items Explore
  • 777 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 65 items
  • 161 items
  • 51 items
  • 52 items
  • 22,614 items Explore
  • 917 items
  • 66 items
  • 22,577 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 2,338 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1,028 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 3 items
  • 759 items
  • 499 items
  • 4 items
  • 3,306 items Explore
  • 179 items
  • 59 items
  • 454 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 21 items
  • 90 items Explore
  • 76 items
  • 281 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 6 items
  • 128 items
  • 295 items
  • 447 items
  • 285 items
  • 1 items
  • 906 items Explore
  • 271 items Explore
  • 11,294 items Explore
  • 755 items Explore
  • 6,044 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 8,015 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,878 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 3,724 items Explore
  • 9,194 items Explore
  • 7,809 items Explore
  • 185 items
  • 19 items
  • 142 items
  • 7 items
  • 852 items Explore
  • 19 items
  • 2,433 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 1,096 items Explore
  • 270 items
  • 1 items
  • 3,492 items Explore
  • 695 items Explore
  • 18 items
  • 134 items
  • 6,750 items Explore
  • 93 items
  • 18,927 items Explore
  • 3,142 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 10,982 items Explore
  • 37 items
  • 2 items
  • 21,543 items Explore
  • 38 items
  • 13,287 items Explore
  • 3,462 items Explore
  • 5,753 items Explore
  • 33 items
  • 48,082 items Explore
  • 645 items Explore
  • 417 items
  • 26,676 items Explore
  • 217 items
  • 3 items
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 35 items
  • 27 items
  • 435 items Explore
  • 636 items
  • 217 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 13,146 items Explore
  • 1,357 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 10,260 items
  • 9 items
  • 10 items
  • 14 items
  • 25 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,482 items Explore
  • 912 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 1 items
  • 317 items
  • 699 items Explore
  • 42 items
  • 4 items
  • 2,286 items Explore
  • 1,662 items Explore
  • 15 items
  • 1,876 items Explore
  • 150 items
  • 81 items
  • 757 items Explore
  • 3,054 items Explore
  • 44 items
  • 17 items
  • 12 items
  • 10,676 items Explore
  • 23,199 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 41 items
  • 1,374 items
  • 179 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 92 items
  • 1 items
  • 13,568 items Explore
  • 3,581 items Explore
  • 2,899 items Explore
  • 4,810 items Explore
  • 22 items
  • 42 items
  • 6,911 items Explore
  • 4,841 items Explore
  • 256 items Explore
  • 2,300 items Explore
  • 2,976 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 1,691 items Explore
  • 193 items
  • 223 items Explore
  • 466 items Explore
  • 6,121 items Explore
  • 8,735 items Explore
  • 1,864 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 1 items
  • 5,795 items Explore
  • 3,355 items Explore
  • 11,136 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 84 items
  • 11 items
  • 1,968 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 24 items
  • 51 items
  • 6 items
  • 1 items
  • 4,208 items Explore
  • 610 items Explore
  • 72 items
  • 17 items
  • 154 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 95 items Explore
  • 460 items
  • 4 items
  • 996 items Explore
  • 3,553 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 5 items
  • 9,497 items Explore
  • 48 items Explore
  • 3 items
  • 7 items
  • 42 items
  • 3 items
  • 13,789 items Explore
  • 1,161 items Explore
  • 92 items
  • 10,557 items Explore
  • 1,920 items
  • 18 items
  • 7,884 items Explore
  • 21 items
  • 12,949 items Explore
  • 1,418 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 9,691 items Explore
  • 14,838 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 1,667 items Explore
  • 181 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 5,687 items Explore
  • 12,228 items Explore
  • 48 items
  • 25 items
  • 2 items
  • 3 items
  • 7,215 items Explore
  • 357 items Explore
  • 13 items
  • 4 items
  • 6 items
  • 103 items Explore
  • 7 items
  • 5 items
  • 485 items
  • 665 items Explore
  • 8,375 items Explore
  • 58 items
  • 7,347 items Explore
  • 5 items
  • 26 items
  • 4,525 items Explore
  • 428 items
  • 339 items Explore
  • 12,702 items Explore
  • 55 items
  • 20 items
  • 7 items
  • 4 items
  • 325 items Explore
  • 434 items
  • 458 items
  • 3,704 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 1,238 items Explore
  • 2,503 items Explore
  • 733 items Explore
  • 36 items
  • 1,136 items Explore
  • 97 items Explore
  • 24 items
  • 228 items Explore
  • 79,867 items Explore
  • 3,135 items Explore
  • 2,875 items Explore
  • 25 items
  • 5,349 items Explore
  • 1,831 items Explore
  • 4 items
  • 17,515 items Explore
  • 4,785 items Explore
  • 1 items
  • 7 items
  • 631 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 1 items
  • 31 items
  • 1 items
  • 76 items
  • 29 items
  • 86 items
  • 3 items
  • 1,178 items Explore
  • 109 items
  • 805 items
  • 12,246 items Explore
  • 27 items
  • 13 items
  • 1,588 items Explore
  • 214 items
  • 17,038 items Explore
  • 85 items
  • 17 items
  • 1 items
  • 8 items
  • 324 items
  • 2 items
  • 625 items Explore
  • 1,593 items Explore
  • 8 items
  • 1,130 items Explore
  • 2 items
  • 307 items

Select a time period

Or choose a specific year

Clear all filters

Elizabeth I (1533–1603)

attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (Exeter c.1547 – London 1619)

Category

Art / Oil paintings

Date

c. 1598 - 1599

Materials

Oil on canvas

Measurements

2235 x 1689 mm

Place of origin

England

Order this image

Collection

Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire

NT 1129128

Caption

Painted by an English artist when Elizabeth I (1533–1603) was in her sixties, this image reflects the tradition of painting the queen as a timeless beauty. Although her ornate dress looks fantastical, with the underskirt decorated with flowers and land and sea creatures, there is no reason to think it does not record a similar dress owned by the queen. Elizabeth had one of the most extensive and lavish wardrobes of all time, and as late as 1599 she was described as ‘most gorgeously apparelled’. The outfit is also covered in hundreds of pearls, a symbol of purity suitable for a virgin queen. Elizabeth is shown standing full length on a raised platform with her throne to her right. The composition of this portrait may have been adapted from a miniature and was probably commissioned by Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury. It may have been delivered to the countess’s home, Hardwick Hall, in 1599, and once installed, it would have provided a visual commentary on Elizabeth Talbot’s close relationship with the queen.

Summary

Oil painting on canvas, Elizabeth I (1533–1603), attributed to Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1598-9. A full-length portrait, wearing a dress decorated with land and sea creatures, standing, turned slightly to the left on a patterned carpet beside a crimson covered chair with the royal cypher embroidered on the cushion, wearing a crown, elaborate lace collar, white satin dress embroidered with flowers, birds and animals, over which is a black surcoat embroidered with pearl ornaments, holding a fan in her left hand and gloves in her right; the shaded area of the carpet at the bottom seems to denote a step.

Full description

This portrait presents Elizabeth I in an iconic format. The Queen appears to float weightlessly over the rich carpet, the painter’s attention firmly on the lustrous detail of the material surfaces. As in many other portraits of her, Elizabeth’s costume - including her headdress, gloves and shoes – is encrusted with pearls. Even late into her reign these symbols of purity and virginity remained a potent aspect of her public persona. The accounts for Hardwick mention payment of carriage for a portrait from London in 1599, which may record the acquisition of this work. This picture has previously been attributed to the studio of the painter Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), though it is less competently painted than the artist’s works in miniature. We know that Hilliard painted large-scale oil portraits however, and the so-called Phoenix and Pelican portraits of Elizabeth I (c.1575) are now associated with him. Alternatively, it is possible that Hilliard passed finished drawings and designs to another painter working in his style. Another suggestion for the authorship of this portrait was Rowland Lockey (c.1566-1616), Hilliard’s former apprentice. Lockey had already painted pictures for Bess of Hardwick in 1592, and he continued to work for her son from 1608 to 1613.

Provenance

Possibly the painting recorded as being transported to Hardwick from London in July 1599 in Chatsworth Archive Hardwick accounts (MS 8 f. 56 v. 19 July 1599); in inventory of the contents of Hardwick Hall made in 1601 and attached to the will of Elizabeth Hardwick, Countess of Shrewsbury (c.1520–1608); recorded by Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797) in 1760 as in the 'Gallerie'; by descent until, following the death of the 10th Duke of Devonshire (1895 - 1950), Hardwick Hall and its contents were accepted by HM Treasury in part payment of death duties and transferred to the National Trust, in 1959

Credit line

Hardwick Hall, The Devonshire Collection (acquired through the National Land Fund and transferred to The National Trust in 1959)

Makers and roles

attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (Exeter c.1547 – London 1619), artist previously catalogued as attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (Exeter c.1547 – London 1619), artist previously catalogued as studio of Nicholas Hilliard (Exeter c.1547 – London 1619), artist British (English) School, artist possibly Rowland Lockey (c.1565 – London 1616), artist previously catalogued as attributed to Federico Zuccaro (Sant’Angelo in Vado c.1541 – Ancona 1609) , artist

Exhibition history

The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2022 - 2023 The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, 2022 - 2023 The Tudors: Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco, 2022 - 2023 Elizabeth 1 and Her People, National Portrait Gallery, London, 2013 - 2014, no.10

References

Elizabeth I and Her People, National Portrait Gallery, London, 10 October 2013 - 5th January 2014 , no. 10 Cleland and Eaker 2022: Elizabeth Cleland and Adam Eaker (eds.), The Tudors, Art and Majesty in Renaissance England, exh.cat. The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York, Cleveland Museum of Art, Legion of Honor, San Francisco, 2022, no. 118, pp. 272-4

View more details

Related articles