The First Portrait of Elizabeth I: '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, ...
