Elizabethan Portraiture: The Coronation & Contemporary Representation

History of the Kings and Queens of England, 
David Williamson, National Portrait Gallery, January 11th 2011
Painting dates to the first decade of the 17th century and is based on a 
lost original also by an unknown artist but represents the queen during her 
time of coronation, symbolised by the jewellery, elaborate crown and loosely worn hair.
Oil painting, original painter unknown, dated roughly early 1600

Reflection of Piece

This image of Elizabeth I at her coronation on January 15th 1559 is an iconic piece within the historical representations of Elizabethan beauty as it fully captures the essence of a youthful Elizabeth and the goals that women for the years of her reign strived to obtain. The face is a pure snow white, flawless in appearance with soft blue veins emphasised on the sides of the temples and brows. The brows and eyes are pale allowing the rouge of the lips and cheeks to be enhanced. This portrait is interesting for the purpose that it remains probably one of the only portraits of  Elizabeth that truly captures the philosophy of the 'Virgin Queen'. This is reflected through the loose hair and flawless soft face that was representative of a pure virgin beauty. This portrait is unique from the others as it truly captures the name that surrounded her reign, and is in some sense otherworldly in its design perhaps emphasising her heavenly connection to God.
The colours used within this painting are useful in constructing a palette that could be used within the project. The portrait is filled with rich red, blacks, pearly white and numerous shades of gold and copper. A shade that continues through the jewellery, gown and hair. The painting itself is almost soft focus, this is achieved through the use of oil paint which creates soft lines and could be applied easily to makeup. To achieve this through cosmetics, areas such as the lips and cheeks would have to be soft and well blended to achieve this image of youth but also an angelic glow which would be associated with the Queens connection to God.
The layout of the portrait demonstrates the strength that Elizabeth held during her reign as she remains the sole individual within the painting, her powerful role comes through within this image and the regality of the golds and reds within her costume is enhanced by the dark plain background which appears to represent the stone walls of the Westminster Hall.

Modern Representation

Persephone by Mario Ville

Make up & Hairdresser: Rocio Cuenca

https://www.behance.net/gallery/17961729/PERSEPHONE

This representation of contemporary Elizabethan makeup is a beautiful example of how the pale complexion and plucked brows can be used to create a soft base that allows the pinks and golds of the lips and cheeks to be enhanced. The skin is iridescent like the portraits and the use of the gold enhances the regality of the overall look. In addition this representation of Elizabethan royalty is also somewhat alien in style, however this is a similar to Elizabeth herself who in her portraits is a strange beauty to look at. The high forehead and almost featureless face gives her an illusion of being other worldly perhaps signifying her connection to God as well as a desire to make her beauty unappealing to men and demonstrate her wisdom as a ruler. This contempraray makeup and hair design by Rocio Cuenca embodies that same sense of otherworldly beauty that is so defined in the original coronation painting.