The First Portrait of Elizabeth: 'The Family of Henry VIII'
Throughout their reigns, the Tudor monarchs, Henry VII, Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, focused on projecting the perfect image to the world. They understood and mastered the art of propaganda through various mediums, mainly through art. Each monarch had a favorite artist who they commissioned to captivate their likeness and distort it to new heights. For example, Henry VIII favored the celebrated German-born artist Hans Holbein, while Elizabeth favored the Flemish-born Marcus Gheeraerts. These artists enabled the monarch's subjects to glimpse their likelinesses and behold their majesty; this remains true for audiences today. In this article, we will look at the first contemporary and surviving portrait of Elizabeth I when she was styled as Lady Elizabeth and discover the significance of the details behind the masterpiece. --- Queen Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife, died on October 24, 1537, shortly after giving birth to his longed-for prince, Edward. As a...
