Restoring the Armada Portrait of An Icon, Queen Elizabeth - Shopping for Sextants, Prime Meridian Cufflinks, Dollond Quarter Size Sundial, Clockwork Pendant Necklace
Recently saved for the British nation, the iconic Armada portrait of Elizabeth I commemorates the most famous conflict of her reign — the failed invasion of England by the Spanish Armada in summer 1588. The conservators of the Royal Museums, Greenwich, England have undertaken essential work to preserve the portrait's fragile painted surfaces which are over 400 years old.
The painting is now on permanent public display as part of the national collection in the Queen's Presence Chamber in the Queen's House,* on the site of the original Greenwich Palace, which was the birthplace of Elizabeth I. The Armada Portrait is an outstanding historical document, summarizing the hopes and aspirations of the state as an imperial power, at a watershed moment in history. But the Armada Portrait transcends this specific moment in time. Scholars have described it as a definitive representation of the English Renaissance, encapsulating the creativity, ideals, and ambitions of the Elizabethan 'Golden Age'.
The Armada Portrait was designed to be a spectacle of female power and majesty, carefully calculated to inspire awe and wonder. Like many Tudor portraits, it is packed with meaning and metaphor. Elizabeth's upright posture, open arms and clear gaze speak of vitality and strength. She is draped in pearls — symbols of chastity and the Moon. Numerous suns are embroidered in gold on her skirt and sleeves, to signify power and enlightenment. She rests her hand on a globe, with her fingers over the New World, and above can be seen a covered imperial crown: both signal her potency as a ruler, not just of England but also as a monarch with overseas ambitions.
The painting is also particularly unusual in representing Elizabeth in a naval and maritime context. In the background, two maritime scenes show the English fleet engaging the Armada in the Channel and Spanish ships being wrecked on the Irish Coast during their stormy passage home, while the mermaid on the queen’s chair of state symbolizes sailors lured to their destruction. Intriguingly, both views are very early 18th-century repaintings over late-16th-century originals.
The portrait may have been owned or even commissioned by Sir Francis Drake, who was second in command of the English fleet against the Spanish.
*Queen's House History:
Inigo Jones and Classical architecture
The famous architect Inigo Jones was commissioned to design the building in 1616 by King James I’s wife, Anne of Denmark – supposedly a gift from the king to apologise for swearing in front of her after she had accidentally killed one of his favourite dogs during a hunt.
Anne of Denmark never lived to see Inigo Jones’s progressive Classical design realised, dying in 1619 with only the first floor completed. It was not until 1629, when James’s son Charles I gave Greenwich to his wife Henrietta Maria, that work on it resumed.
The Queen’s House was completed around 1636 and is considered remarkable for its break with the traditional, red-brick Tudor style of building, and for its elegant proportions and the high quality of its interiors. It was the first fully Classical building in England.
Used by the Royal family
The start of the Civil War in 1642 meant that Henrietta Maria had little time to enjoy it – she went into exile, her husband was executed and his property seized by the state, although she did eventually return after the restoration in 1660.
It was used by members of the royal family until 1805, when George III granted the Queen’s House to a charity for the orphans of seamen, called the Royal Naval Asylum. This remained until 1933, when the school moved to Suffolk. It was taken over by the National Maritime Museum in 1934.
The Queen’s House today
The Queen’s House is famous today for its extraordinary art collection including works by Great Masters such as Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner and Hogarth. Its connection with artists goes all the way back to 1673, when two Dutch maritime painters the van de Veldes were given studio space by Charles II.
Don't forget a unique collection of gifts from the Royal Museums of Greenwich, such as clocks, watches, pocket watches, telescopes, longitude items, timekeepers, ship plans and prints, maritime history and books, piracy, jewelry
- Clocks
- Watches
- Pocket Watches
- Prime Meridian & GMT
- Telescopes
- The Moon
- Longitude & John Harrison
- Historic Timekeepers
- Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year
The Armada Portrait of Elizabeth I was acquired with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Art Fund, Linbury Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Headley Trust and other major donors, together with contributions from over 8000 members of the public following a joint appeal with Art Fund.
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