Rothschild Collections
poweR & poRtRaituRe
poweR & poRtRaituRe: paiNtiNG at tHe CouRt oF eLiZaBetH i elizabeth i and her courtiers used portraits to fashion their public image and to promote themselves in a glamorous, dangerous world. in this display, paintings of elizabeth are flanked by portraits of her charismatic suitor, the earl of Leicester, her ambassador to France, Sir amias paulet, and the doomed Duke of Norfolk. works by Netherlandish painters demonstrate the role played by foreign artists in the self-fashioning of the english court while two panel paintings by the english painter Nicholas Hilliard were created during his travels abroad. Hilliard is famous for his miniatures, and, although he is known to have painted large-scale oil paintings, none has been identified until now. this is the first chance to examine them alongside the ‘phoenix’ portrait of elizabeth i, which some scholars think may also be by Hilliard.
anglo-Netherlandish School Robert Dudley, 1st earl of Leicester (1532-1588), c. 1564 oil on panel waddesdon (Rothschild Family) on loan since 1996 acc. no. 14.1996
the son of the Duke of Northumberland, who was executed for treason in 1553, Robert Dudley’s career as courtier, soldier and statesman was shaped by his closeness to Queen elizabeth. He was the queen’s favourite from her accession to the throne until his death and a suitor for her hand in marriage. a groundbreaking collector of paintings, Leicester commissioned works from artists including Nicholas Hilliard, Hendrick Goltzius, François Clouet, paolo Veronese and Federico Zuccaro. this portrait demonstrates his use of Renaissance models for his own self-fashioning. For example, the pose and the dog recall titian’s famous portrait of the Habsburg emperor Charles V, whose emblem of paired columns appears in the background. Leicester understood the importance of visual impact. a few years after this portrait was painted an onlooker described him:
and then came my said Lord the earl of Leicester by himself, appareled all in white, his shoes of velvet, his stocks of hose knit silk, his upper stocks of white velvet lined with cloth of silver, his doublet of silver, his jerkin white velvet drawn with silver, beautified with gold and precious stones […] his cap black velvet with a white feather […] a sight worthy the beholding.
attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) Queen elizabeth i (1533-1603), c. 1575 oil on panel Lent by the National portrait Gallery acc. no. NpG190
this portrait is known as the ‘phoenix’ portrait after the jewel depicting a phoenix that sits just above elizabeth’s hand. the mythical bird, of which there was only one, rose from the flames that consumed its predecessor. it was an emblem of the queen’s virginity and her power to regenerate the tudor dynasty. it is likely that this portrait was painted either by or under the direction of Nicholas Hilliard, who became the queen’s painter in 1570. this panel painting shares many stylistic similarities with Hilliard’s miniatures. the features of the queen conform to a face pattern that Hilliard used in other portraits of her, including the painting displayed beside it here. the blue background that we see now is an under layer. the painting would originally have had a reddish purple background.
Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) Queen elizabeth i (1533-1603), 1576-8
Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) Sir amias paulet (1532-1588), 1576-8
oil on panel
oil on panel
Rothschild Family on loan since 2017
Rothschild Family on loan since 2017
acc. no. 27.2017
acc. no. 28.2017
this portrait and that of Sir amias paulet displayed beside it were painted while Hilliard was in France. the artist is best known for his miniatures, painted in watercolour on vellum, but these splendid works demonstrate his skill on a larger scale in the medium of oil paint. the relative flatness of the queen’s face - luminous and inscrutable - contrasts with the texture and modelling of the clothes, whose details invite close attention. the elaborate jewel hanging below the queen’s ruff incorporates a pelican, which is emblematic of the passion of Christ and selfsacrifice. it was believed that the bird fed its young with blood from its own breast.
this portrait, and that of the queen beside it, was painted while Sir amias paulet was resident ambassador in France. a staunch protestant, he had previously acted as lieutenant–governor of Jersey and was later to become the last gaoler of Mary, Queen of Scots. the red velvet curtain that serves as the background to this portrait also appears in the portrait of elizabeth. However, unlike the monarch, paulet looks directly at the viewer. Hilliard used fine brushstrokes to delineate individual hairs (some greying) and the stubble on paulet’s cheek. He used thick paint to raise the stiff, spikey lace of the ruff from the surface. detail of ruff in raking light
detail of jewel
Hans eworth (active 1540 - died 1574) thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1536-1572), 1562 oil on panel Rothschild Family on loan since 2015
Coade artificial Stone Manufactory after a design attributed to John Bacon (1740-1799) Bust of elizabeth i (1533-1603), c. 1780 Coade Stone
acc. no. 377.2015
waddesdon (Rothschild Foundation) acc. no. 302.2016
thomas Howard was the son of the poet earl of Surrey who was executed in 1547. He succeeded his grandfather as Duke of Norfolk and earl Marshal of england in 1554, presiding over all royal ceremonies and the College of arms. He was imprisoned in the tower for his scheme to marry Mary, Queen of Scots as his fourth wife, and executed for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to put Mary on the throne and restore Catholicism in england. Hans eworth was born in antwerp and moved to england in the 1540s. He was the principal court portrait painter during the reign of the Catholic Mary i, but saw his favour decline at court during the reign of the protestant elizabeth i. Norfolk is depicted in a pose similar to that of the earl of Leicester in the portrait at the other end of this wall. the two men were political enemies. each is shown with a purse, in which is seen a handkerchief, perhaps the token of a woman’s affection. the companion to this portrait depicts Howard’s second wife Margaret audley standing against the same magnificent cloth of silver embroidered with their arms.
Hans eworth, Margaret, Duchess of Norfolk, 1562; oil on panel. © Historic england archive
this bust is made of Coade Stone - a type of fired clay - developed by the entrepreneur eleanor Coade (1732-1821) for the production of statues, busts and all kinds of architectural ornaments. the 18th-century depiction of elizabeth i draws upon historic sources but adapts them to reflect modern fashions and new ideas about monarchy. the tilt of the head and downward gaze imbue this portrait with a tender thoughtfulness far removed from the aloof grandeur of 16th-century images of the queen.
two portraits of HM Queen elizabeth ii complement the display of paintings of elizabeth i and her courtiers, inviting visitors to think about the function of royal portraits, then and now, and what expectations people have of them.
Lucian Freud’s Queen elizabeth ii uses a small canvas to intensify the sense of the painter’s scrutiny and the vigour of the brushstrokes. the Queen wears the Diamond Diadem, familiar from postage stamps and the State opening of parliament, but the painting departs from the conventions of public image making to explore the inner life of the sitter.
Lucian Freud (1922-2011), Queen elizabeth i (b. 1926), 2000-2001; Royal Collection trust © Her Majesty Queen elizabeth ii, 2017 © the Lucian Freud archive/Bridgeman images
two poRtRaitS oF eLiZaBetH ii
ann Carrington (b. 1962) the pearly Queen of Shoreditch, 2004 Cotton, pearl, troca and agoya shell buttons and perspex waddesdon (Rothschild Foundation) acc. no. 61.2005
this photograph was taken by the artist’s studio assistant during a sitting in the picture conservation studio at St. James’s palace.
Lucian Freud (1922-2011) Queen elizabeth ii (b. 1926), 2000-2001 oil on canvas presented by the artist to HM the Queen, 2001 Lent by Her Majesty the Queen
anglo-Netherlandish School, Robert Dudley, 1st earl of Leicester (1532-1588), c. 1564; waddesdon (Rothschild Family); acc. no. 14.1996. © National trust, waddesdon Manor. Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), Queen elizabeth i (1533 -1603), 1576-1578; Rothschild Family; acc. no. 27.2017. photo: © Hamilton Kerr institute.
David Dawson, the Queen sits for Lucian Freud, 2001; c-type photo; private Collection; Bridgeman images
Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), Sir amias paulet (c. 1533-1588), 1576-1578; oil on panel; Rothschild Family; acc. no. 28.2017. photo: © Hamilton Kerr institute. Hans eworth (active 1540–died 1574), thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk (1536-1572), 1562; Rothschild Family; acc. no. 377.2015. photo: © Ruth Bubb Conservation Ltd.
ann Carrington’s pearly Queen of Shoreditch combines an image familiar from postage stamps with the popular culture of the pearly Kings and Queens of London’s east end. it was made to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday.
attributed to Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619), Queen elizabeth i (1533-1603), c. 1575; National portrait Gallery, London. NpG190. photo: © National portrait Gallery, London. ann Carrington, the pearly Queen of Shoreditch, 2004; waddesdon (Rothschild Foundation); acc. no. 61.2005. photo: Mike Fear © National trust, waddesdon Manor.
the organisers would like to thank Her Majesty the Queen and the National portrait Gallery for their generous loans. thanks are also due to Rupert Featherstone, Sarah Bayliss and their colleagues at the Hamilton Kerr institute and to Charlotte Bolland, Michael Gregory, Lutz Hartmann, Leah Kharibian, tim Knox, David Mlinaric, edward town and Chris williams.
waddesdon Manor, Near aylesbury Buckinghamshire Hp18 0JH www.waddesdon.org.uk
Coade artificial Stone Manufactory after a design attributed to John Bacon, elizabeth i (1533-1603), c 1780; waddesdon (Rothschild Foundation); acc. no. 302.2016. photo: Mike Fear © National trust, waddesdon Manor.
photography by: Mike Fear © National trust, waddesdon Manor. © National portrait Gallery, London. © Hamilton Kerr institute. © Ruth Bubb Conservation Ltd.