Portraiture, being for the purpose of flattery, plays a perfect role in examining this idea. ‘The Ditchley Potrait’ produced by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger in 1592 (Figure 1) will be used here to compare against Mary Tudor portraits and analyzed for specific elements that show how Elizabeth wished to be portrayed. In ‘The Ditchley Potrait,’ Elizabeth I is pictured as a divine, powerful, and symbolic Queen, in comparison, Mary I is generally depicted as a mortal, subservient, and realistic monarch. It was not unprecedented to show distinction between characters in portraiture. Lucas de Heere’s highly allegorical ‘Family of Henry VIII’ of 1572 (Figure 2) has Elizabeth ushered into her father’s presence by goddesses of peace and plenty, while mars, the god of war, ushers Mary and Philip into the opposite side of the scene. Placing Elizabeth among the gods or giving her a divine nature also had precedents. This can be seen specifically in Hans Eworth’s ‘Elizabeth and the three Goddesses’ of 1569 (Figure 3). There was more to placing Elizabeth among the gods than merely expressing power, the relation provided a counter towards Catholicism’s Virgin Mary whose representation was adopted by Mary
Portraiture, being for the purpose of flattery, plays a perfect role in examining this idea. ‘The Ditchley Potrait’ produced by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger in 1592 (Figure 1) will be used here to compare against Mary Tudor portraits and analyzed for specific elements that show how Elizabeth wished to be portrayed. In ‘The Ditchley Potrait,’ Elizabeth I is pictured as a divine, powerful, and symbolic Queen, in comparison, Mary I is generally depicted as a mortal, subservient, and realistic monarch. It was not unprecedented to show distinction between characters in portraiture. Lucas de Heere’s highly allegorical ‘Family of Henry VIII’ of 1572 (Figure 2) has Elizabeth ushered into her father’s presence by goddesses of peace and plenty, while mars, the god of war, ushers Mary and Philip into the opposite side of the scene. Placing Elizabeth among the gods or giving her a divine nature also had precedents. This can be seen specifically in Hans Eworth’s ‘Elizabeth and the three Goddesses’ of 1569 (Figure 3). There was more to placing Elizabeth among the gods than merely expressing power, the relation provided a counter towards Catholicism’s Virgin Mary whose representation was adopted by Mary