Elizabethan Portraiture: 'The Ermine Portrait'

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This is the Ermine Portrait by Nicholas Hillard of Queen Elizabeth 1 dating back to 1585.

The portrait is full of symbolism, for example, the ermine symbolizes purity, status and royalty, which are also shown by the small gold crown around its neck. The sword on Queen Elizabeth’s lap represents justice, and the olive branch she is holding resembles peace.

Her clothing is richly decorated, showing she is of high status and wealth, and she is wearing black and white which were her favorite colours, and could only be worn by the very wealthy or royalty. The white on the dress also represents her status as the ‘Virgin Queen’. Elizabeth also wears the ‘Three brothers’ jewel- a gem made up of three diamonds set in a triangle around a pointed diamond, and it was one of her most treasured jewels.

For her make-up, Elizabeth has her famously pale skin which also shows her wealth and status, as poor people would have more tanned skin from working outside in the sun. She also has slight rosy cheeks and pale pink lips giving her a youthful glow, as Elizabeth always wanted to appear ageless.

Her hair is in an elaborate style and is adorned with jewels, which again symbolizes her status and wealth. She has a very structured hairstyle with tight curls showing her power and authority. Her forehead is also on display and looks large, which was considered to be attractive in the Elizabethan era- ladies would pluck their hair lines back to achieve this look.