“Elizabeth I”
Today we have a wonderful little portrait…
This lovely watercolor on vellum painting, titled “Elizabeth I”, is attributed to the Flemish portrait artist, Levina Teerlinc. It dates to circa 1560-1565 and was painted when Elizabeth was between 27 and 32 years old. There is a remarkable level of detail conveyed on such a small canvas. Without the frame, this painting has a diameter of just over 5 cm.
Elizabeth was the queen of England for 44 years, serving from 1558 until her death in 1603. Her father was Henry VIII, and her mother was Ann Boleyn. Elizabeth was the last ruler from the house of Tudors and during her reign, the British arts and world exploration flourished. That period is referred to as the Elizabethan era.
This is one of many paintings depicting Elizabeth I that Teerlinc had created during her tenure as a court painter in the Tudor court. Levina Teerlinc was most notably a miniaturist, and she had created several portraits of Elizabeth I as miniatures. These depict the progression of Elizabeth from a young child to a young woman. Miniatures were usually watercolor portraits that would fit into jewelry, such as a locket, that were worn or given to loved ones.
Though her work was well-documented in writings and well-received by the court, there are no paintings that survive today that can definitely be attributed to Teerlinc. She rarely signed her work. However, there are some pieces that are attributed to her based on their place of origin and the fashion style of the sitters depicted, in addition to other relative dating methods.
This was originally ascribed to Nicholas Hilliard who was believed to have been trained by Teerlinc and painted miniatures in the courts of Elizabeth I and James I. However, this painting was painted before Hilliard had assumed that role.
“Elizabeth I” is currently in the privately owned Royal Collection Trust of the British Royal family.
For more on Levina Teerlinc, please visit her short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
