Who are the New Elizabethans?

The Elizabethan era is in the past, however, there are many individuals in the modern day that represent the Elizabethans - from their styling, to their attitude and goals in life.

Examples: 

90s Madonna 

"Take a bow, the night is over" 

-Madonna 90s hit'Take a bow'

The 90s were Madonna's prime-time, she continuously tried out different styles, both fashion wise and music wise. 

The photos below show Madonna in the 90s,I feel that her styling in these photos are very contemporary Elizabethan. The hair is a very gingery blonde - a preference for Elizabethan women - and perfectly curled with some volume at the the top of the head. The makeup on the eyes are very light and is complimented by a beautiful and striking red lip, this is also another Elizabethan feature - light eyes and dark lip. The dark eyebrows make the look contemporary, giving some edge. Madonna looks very elegant and royal in these photos, giving her an upper class feel. 

Madonna has marked the music industry and many music artists now follow in her footsteps. Madonna was also a huge fashion icon across the decades, but one of her most memorable signature look was the cone bra that Jean Paul Gaultier designed for her blonde ambition tour in 1990. Like Queen Elizabeth, she still has an impact today.

Grace Kelly

"Few women have had as enduring an impact on fashion as Grace Kelly, the Hollywood actress who became a real-life princess. Almost three decades after her passing, her name is still synonymous with impeccable chic and effortless elegance."

- H Kristina Haugland 

Grace Kelly occupied a unique position in both Hollywood and fashion history. 

Alfred Hitchcock made the observation that it wasn't the make-up or clothes but because she plays a character from the inside out.

This observation reminds me of the role of Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth seemed to be a strong women, but it was her role and her duty to be a strong leader, she had no choice, like an actor she has to hide her own emotions to protect her people.

Hilary Clinton

"Years of applying herself to learn the job and perform well in it"

Hilary Clinton is a controversial figure, being the former United States Secretary of State, U.S Senator and former First lady of the United States, she puts herself up for a lot of criticism. 

Her attitude is similar to Queen Elizabeth's, when she was new to the throne, she had no other choice but to apply herself to the role and learn to be a great leader. Elizabeth was under a lot of pressure to do well - and she did. 

Symbolism in Portraiture - The Pelican Portrait

Nicholas Hilliard. (2008). The Pelican Portrait . Available: http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/elizface2.htm. Last accessed 8th Oct 2013.

Above is the famous Pelican portrait painted by Nicholas Hilliard in around 1574/1576. It is speculated that Queen Elizabeth was in her forties when this was painted. 

There is much symbolism in this portrait: 

THE TWO IMPERIAL CROWNS

A crown is propped on top of the Tudor rose, this symbolises Queen Elizabeth's claim to England. 











On the top right hand side of the portrait there is another crown, however, his time it is propped on top of the 'Fleur de Lys' , this ultimately symbolises Elizabeths claim to france. 







PEARLS


Elizabeth is adorned with jewels in this portrait, especially pearls. the pearls signify Elizabeth's purity, innocence and virginity. 

TUDOR ROSE













Apart from the tudor rose which is prominent at the top left hand corner of the portrait, if you look closely, the tudor rose is actually embroidered onto Elizabeth's dress. Although, Elizabeth has been on the throne for quite a long time by the time this portrait was painted, the tudor roses reaffirm her Tudor roots and her right to the English throne.

PELICAN

The pelican is probably what I consider the most important aspect of this portrait. 

According to legend, a female pelican would pluck her own breast in order to feed her dying young with her own blood. 

As Elizabeth is wearing a pelican pendant on her beast, this symbolises and signifies her undying and selfless love for her county and her people. She radiates motherly love. 

In the middle ages, the pelican was also a symbol of Jesus's crucifixion, the ultimate sacrifice, and of the Eucharist, the feeding of his followers with his own flesh and blood. This makes sense as Queen Elizabeth was often seen as the divine, second to God. 

COLOURS

Here, Elizabeth is dresses in red, black, white and gold. These colours spoke of her wealth and status. Red frabic was dyed with cochineal, a dye which was extremely expensive and restricted to the upper class, Black fabric was also notoriously expensive. I feel that the colours gold and red alone show immense power and wealth.