Portrait Miniature
| Artist/Maker |
Object Type
From the late 1580s there was a proliferation of portraits of Elizabeth I. In this period, the political and religious temperature of Europe rose and there were many threats to the Queen's safety, especially from Spain. It therefore became fashionable to express loyalty and devotion to the Queen by wearing her image. The original jewelled and enamelled case in which this miniature is set demonstrates the expense to which some would go to house her image.
People
Elizabeth I rarely sat for portraits, so one sitting provided a 'pattern' that was then repeated in various forms. This face pattern is by Nicholas Hilliard and is often called the 'Mask of Youth'. The Queen was then 60, but the artist reduced her features to a few simple lines, so rejuvenating her appearance. In this version Elizabeth wears her hair long and unbound, as unmarried girls did, to signify her virginity. This gives pictorial expression to her claim to be a Virgin Queen wedded to her kingdom.
Time
The locket is an example of how the former Roman Catholic practice of wearing holy images became transferred to images of Elizabeth. It reflects the near-cult that grew up around her, with the devotion once given to the Virgin Mary in Catholic countries, but no longer possible in Protestant England, finding an outlet in the homage done to the Queen.
From the late 1580s there was a proliferation of portraits of Elizabeth I. In this period, the political and religious temperature of Europe rose and there were many threats to the Queen's safety, especially from Spain. It therefore became fashionable to express loyalty and devotion to the Queen by wearing her image. The original jewelled and enamelled case in which this miniature is set demonstrates the expense to which some would go to house her image.
People
Elizabeth I rarely sat for portraits, so one sitting provided a 'pattern' that was then repeated in various forms. This face pattern is by Nicholas Hilliard and is often called the 'Mask of Youth'. The Queen was then 60, but the artist reduced her features to a few simple lines, so rejuvenating her appearance. In this version Elizabeth wears her hair long and unbound, as unmarried girls did, to signify her virginity. This gives pictorial expression to her claim to be a Virgin Queen wedded to her kingdom.
Time
The locket is an example of how the former Roman Catholic practice of wearing holy images became transferred to images of Elizabeth. It reflects the near-cult that grew up around her, with the devotion once given to the Virgin Mary in Catholic countries, but no longer possible in Protestant England, finding an outlet in the homage done to the Queen.
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How was it made? Portrait miniatures
The V&A holds the national collection of British portrait miniatures - a unique watercolour art form which developed during the reign of Henry VIII. Miniatures were popular as portable images of loved ones until the the rise of photography in the mid 19th century. The collection contains o...
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Portrait miniatures at the V&A
In 1857, the year the new South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) opened to the public, the museum acquired its first portrait miniature – an image of Queen Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard. The miniature, housed in an enamelled gold locket with a jewelled cover, is a rare survival as most E...
Object details
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| Parts | This object consists of 3 parts.
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| Brief description | Portrait miniature of Elizabeth I by Nicholas Hilliard in a case of enamelled gold set with a diamond and ruby, England, ca.1600. |
| Physical description | Portrait of Elizabeth I contained in a gold enamelled case set with diamond and ruby. |
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| Gallery label |
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| Summary | Object Type From the late 1580s there was a proliferation of portraits of Elizabeth I. In this period, the political and religious temperature of Europe rose and there were many threats to the Queen's safety, especially from Spain. It therefore became fashionable to express loyalty and devotion to the Queen by wearing her image. The original jewelled and enamelled case in which this miniature is set demonstrates the expense to which some would go to house her image. People Elizabeth I rarely sat for portraits, so one sitting provided a 'pattern' that was then repeated in various forms. This face pattern is by Nicholas Hilliard and is often called the 'Mask of Youth'. The Queen was then 60, but the artist reduced her features to a few simple lines, so rejuvenating her appearance. In this version Elizabeth wears her hair long and unbound, as unmarried girls did, to signify her virginity. This gives pictorial expression to her claim to be a Virgin Queen wedded to her kingdom. Time The locket is an example of how the former Roman Catholic practice of wearing holy images became transferred to images of Elizabeth. It reflects the near-cult that grew up around her, with the devotion once given to the Virgin Mary in Catholic countries, but no longer possible in Protestant England, finding an outlet in the homage done to the Queen. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 4404 to B-1857 |
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| Record created | December 15, 1999 |
| Record URL |
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