Symbolism

Elizabeth had her portraits completed many times over the years of her reign, and although many were painted, little survived. The Queen was obsessed with her overall image, not just vanity, and she needed these portraits to convey her beauty, purity, and power, and those that didn't, were destroyed. Her early portraits focused on her right to reign, asserting her legitimacy as the rightful heir, as well as her purity, chastity and her undying love for the people. Throughout her life as Queen, the portraits began to convey the success of her reign, and the strength and power she had. In the 1570's, she began to be very aware of what it meant to have her portraits adorned with symbols of power and wisdom, to celebrate her as the Virgin Queen. These portraits played a large part in the 'Cult of Elizabeth', the idea of celebrating Elizabeth as 'the sacred one', essentially becoming a piece of propaganda and winning her loyalty of the people. The Queen did not commission one artist to complete her portraits, but used a handful of skilful artists. Other artists would then create their own portrait from these, which is why so many similarities occur within the paintings. The portraits also differ in style, due to the painting skills of the painters changing throughout the years. The Renaissance bought a new change of painting, more lifelike and elaborate in style. However, this was not the only change in the paintings. The size of portraits would range from large to small, and it was a great privilege to own own. The Nobility kept miniature portraits on themselves, so that the Queen would be close to them at all time. Images of Queen Elizabeth were also worn as jewellery by the upper classes to show their loyalty.

Queen Elizabeth I, c. 1572
Miniature by Nicholas Hilliard.
© National Portrait Gallery, London

All of the portraits completed during and after the Queen's reign contained a significant amount of symbolism.

The Rainbow Portrait, c.1600
Isaac Oliver
Hatfield House

This is 'The Rainbow Portrait', by Isaac Oliver, which now stands in Hatfield House, UK. This is considered one of the more elaborate and inventive Tudor portraits, due to the use of symbolism. Elizabeth is standing in the frame, elaborately dressed and decorated. Her gown is embroidered with English wildflowers, allowing the Queen to pose as the virginal heroine Astraea, the Greek Goddess Daughter of Zeus and Themis. She is associated with innocence, purity and justice, a celestial virgin that was one of the last immortals to live with humans. According to the myth, she will return and bring with her 'The Golden Age'. As well as this goddess reference, the cape is decorated with eyes and ears, implying that she hears and sees all. This is added in very subtly to the design of the covering, which further implies that even when she takes the cloak off she will still hear and see all, just alike God. On the arm of Her Majesty's gown, sits a serpent holding a ruby in it's mouth. This symbolises how wisdom has captured the Queen's heart, and wisdom controls her emotions and her ruling. To support this, there is a celestial sphere, which echoes the queen's power over nature. Elizabeth would have been ageing when this piece was created, and her hair is worn in long ringlets, which gives the illusion of youth, and to hide her ageing skin. The headdress that sits upon her hair is adorned lavishly with jewels, pearls and rubies in particular. The pearls symbolise her utmost purity, whilst the rubies convey her royal blood. At the top of the crown is a crescent shaped jewel, referring to Cynthia, the God of the Moon. Elizabeth loved her hands, and in every portrait it is important to suds what she holds, as it is there for a reason. In her right hand, she holds a rainbow, with the inscription 'Non sine sole iris' upon it. This means 'No rainbow without sun', the rainbow symbolising peace, only the Queen's wisdom brings control. The image conveys youth, with implies that the Queen is therefore ageless. Like the Queen's dresses, hair and headdresses were adorned with jewels, the Queen's portraits were similarly adorned in symbolism.

Other symbols include:

Gloves represent elegance,

Olive branches show peace,

Crowns, orbs and sceptres’ signify the power of the monarchy

Dogs represent faithfulness – The greyhound in particular was associated with the Tudors

(Marilee Cody, 2006,  'Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I (online)[viewed 17/10/2014], available from: http://www.marileecody.com/eliz1-images.html)

Nowadays, the symbols for power and status are items such as big cars, designer accessories, small dogs, and expensive jewellery. We were set a task to find an image of a contemporary portrait, and take our own. I chose to look at Nicki Minaj, a top female celebrity of the modern day.

(Nicki Minaj, July18th 2013, Instagram [viewed 17/10/2014] available from http://instagram.com/nickiminaj)

I chose this holiday portrait that Nicki had taken of her, overlooking the hot landscape, by the cool of the swimming pool. She wears a hat in this image, that covers her eyes from the viewer, implying that  the audience do not have any relevance to her life, she does not need to acknowledge them. This is supported by the pose, she is looking away from the camera. Nicki Minaj is renowned for her bum implants, which in this image is not hesitant of flaunting them. The idea of a 'big booty' has swept the world, with woman all over embracing their curves. The designer Louboutins that Nicki wears are definitely not a necessity by poolside, but they are conveying her celebrity status. The three bottles of 'MYX' are an alcoholic drink that Nicki promotes, which is the reason they are included in this portrait. The setting is idyllic, she is surrounded by trees and mountains bathing in the sun, with a private pool to cool down in. Celebrity status is rife in this image, with every detail documenting her wealth, and promoting her image, just alike Queen Elizabeth.

My image is a portrait taken by my sister on my holiday. I feel it conveys my personality well, my bright coloured hair, and quirky jewellery contrasting the calm of the sea behind. I thought this image was similar to Nicki Minaj's portrait, as I am enjoying the sun high above the sea. 

Colour Scheme Looks

For our practical with Kat Vogart, we were asked to complete two face charts and looks on the face in  certain colour schemes. I chose to complete two face charts, one in monochromatic purple, and the other in analogous greens and yellow. I used 'ProChart' face charts, and used makeup from M.A.C, Charles Fox and Illamasqua. I wanted my face charts to be experimental with looks, and imaginative, which I believe I have achieved.

In the practical with Kat, we were paired up and asked to complete our monochromatic look on our parner. I worked on Lucy, using my face chart to work from. I prepped the skin, cleansing and toning to remove any oils and dirt on the skin. I used Illamasqua Matte Primer to prime the skin, then using the Foundation Palette and Camouflage Palette from Charles Fox to create a clear and even skin tone. I used the Brilliant Colour Medley Matte palette in Shallot, Lavender and Sage Blossom for the eyes. To achieve this look, I used the darkest shade Shallot in the corners and for the line down the nose, then blended it out with a rounded brush and Lavender, then Sage Blossom, the lightest tone to blend out into the skin tone. I contoured the face in purple, starting with the lightest tone and building up using the darker tones. I lined the eyebrows with Shallot, for next time I need to focus on making them completely symmetrical, as here they are not completely even. Finally, for the eyes, I mixed M.A.C Lip Mix in the red and blue to create a deep purple to finish this look off. I am pleased with the outcome of this look, and I now know that I have to focus on making the look symmetrical, particularly the eyebrows. 

The makeup look that I completed on myself was in complementary colours, blue and orange. As I am more interested in high fashion and editorial makeup, I wanted it to be striking and capture the eye instantly. I used the Foundation Palette by Charles Fox as the base, alongside the Camouflage Palette and Powder by Illamasqua to set this. I then contoured the face using Turmeric from the Charles Fox eye colour palette, and also a dark blue from the Coastal Scents 252 Palette. Using a blue eyeliner pencil, I worked into the eyebrows to create a striking and clean look, and then the same with the lips. I then used the Turmeric orange to highlight the lips, and outline them. I achieved the look on the eyes also using Turmeric, and by wetting the brush achieved the sharp and clean point. I enjoyed being able to design my own look using this complementary scheme, as the brief for this task was so vague, we could be as imaginative as we liked. 

Colour Theory

Colour theory is a multitude of colour theories, concepts and designs. The three main colour theories are the colour wheel, the colour harmony and colour context. This can all be found in Josef Albers 'Interaction of Colour'.

The Colour Wheel

The colour wheel is based on the primary colours, red, yellow and blue. Isaac Newton was the first to complete a colour wheel in 1666, since then, many artists have designed their own based on this concept. 

There are also categories based on the colour wheel. These consist of the 3, 6 and 12 colours. 

The first wheel on the left, consists of the primary colours, red, blue and yellow. These three colours cannot be made by mixing any other colours. All other colours are derived from these three. 

The circle in the middle shows 6 colours, green, orange and purple, as well as the primary colours. These can be made by mixing the primary colours, and are known as secondary colours. 

The third wheel on the right consists of 12 different colours, these are colours made by mixing a primary colour and a secondary colour. For example, blue-green, red-orange etc. 

The Colour Harmony 

A harmony is a pleasing arrangement, whether it be for the ears through music or eyes through colour. It creates an inner sense of order, and engages the viewer. If something is not harmonious, it can either be boring or chaotic, in these situations the brain rejects them. 

Some formulas for colour harmony include:

Analogous 

These are colours next to each other on the colour wheel. These colours are often found in nature, and are visually comforting for the eye. When choosing your analogous colour scheme, it is important to have enough contrast. One colour colour should dominate, the second should support, and the third should be an accent. 

Complementary

A complementary colour scheme consists of two colours that are opposite of each other on the colour wheel. This scheme works well at high saturation, to achieve a vibrant outcome. You must be careful not to use the colours in large doses, but work well when you want to achieve bold look. 

Achromatic 

An achromatic colour is that which has no saturation and therefore no hue. This includes neutral greys, white and black. Achromatic simply means 'without colour'. You have to be very careful with using this scheme on its own, as it can look very dull, so using it with one bright colour can be very effective and dramatic for the eye. 

Chromatic 

Chromatic colours are any colour the predominate in their wavelength. White, Grey and Black are achromatic as they do not contain a dominant hue. 

Monochromatic

Monochromatic colours are any shade, tint, colour of a hue. 

Colour Context

How a colour behaves in relation to other colours and shapes. 

Two colours side by side can change our perceptions of the colours instantly. They behave differently upon the eye to if they were next to white. 

In the square on the left, the purple seems to have a reddish tinge to it, when infact, it is the same colour in the other square. This clearly shows how our perception changes when colours interact. 

(Josef Albers, Published 3 March 2006, 'Interaction Of Colour', Publisher: Yale University Press, [viewed 17/10/2014])

Elizabeth In Film

Queen Elizabeth I has been the subject of many film productions, due to her striking attitude and influence upon the people. In this post I am going to reflect on these films, and how far the women cast to portray this character went to achieve pure historical accuracy. 

Elizabeth - Cate Blanchett - 1998

Australian actress Cate Blanchett stars alongside Richard Attenborough, Christopher Eccleston and Geoffrey Rush in this biographical film, directed by Shekhar Kapur and written by Michael Hirst. The film won several awards, Cate recieved a BAFTA and Golden Globe in 1998 the year it was released, and makeup designer Jenny Shircore won an Oscar for Best Makeup. The costume, hair and makeup shown in the Coronation scene were based on a portrait of the queen, completed around 1600. It is unknown of the whereabouts of this painting completed by an unknown artist, but can be found in the book The National Portrait Gallery History of the Kings and Queens of England by David Williamson. 

(National Portrait Gallery, 2014, 'Exploring Elizabeth I' (online), [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/learning/digital/sen/explore-elizabeth-i.php)

Portrait of Elizabeth I of England in her coronation robes. Copy c. 1600–1610 of a lost original of c. 1559.

Blanchett went to extreme lengths to accurately portray the character of Queen Elizabeth. She had her eyebrows and eyelashes bleached to match the fair hair of the Queen, and even shaved her hairline back, to achieve the high forehead that the Elizabethans craved for, a sign of aristocracy and intelligence. In 2006 Blanchett once again portrayed the Queen in a follow-up to Elizabeth, in Elizabeth:The Golden Age.
(The Makeup Gallery, 2013, 'The Chameleons: Cate Blanchett' (online) [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/character/cham/blanchett.htm)

Fire Over England - Flora Robson - 1937

It is unknown as to who the makeup artist and designer was for this 1937 film, but it is undeniable that this was very historically accurate. Robson had a prosthetic nose for this film, and was aided by very heavy makeup to create this pale look. 

( The Makeup Gallery, 2013, C16th Makeup:Fire Over England (online) [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/fire.htm)

Bette Davis - The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex -1939 - The Virgin Queen - 1955

 Bette Davis went to extreme lengths to accurately portray this character. Herself and Perc Westmore, (at the time head makeup artist for Warner Bros.), shaved her hair back a huge 3 inches and shaved her eyebrows off, only to be replaced by a thin pencil line. Perc drew bags under her eyes, and thinned down her lips. She was only 31 when playing the role of Elizabeth in The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, but the makeup ages her many years. 

She plays the role of Elizabeth once again 25 years later, and couragously accepts for her hair to be shaven off once again by Perc Westmore. This time unfortunately, it did not all grow back. "This time, woefully, my hair didn't all grow back. They did it because Queen Elizabeth was losing her hair, and they made sure I did, too". She even had to wear a nightcap to the Oscars to hide her shaven hairline. It has been said that she looked far more like the images of Queen Elizabeth in her first portrayal than she did when she would have been nearer the real age of Elizabeth in the second.

(The Makeup Gallery, C16th Makeups: The Virgin Queen, (online), [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/virginbd.htm)

Glenda Jackson - Elizabeth R - 1971

This BBC 6-part series badged Jackson an Emmy and a BAFTA for her performance. Her makeup is by far most startling towards the end of the series, as Elizabeth weakens. Jackson portrays Elizabeth from young to aged, resulting in a very arduous makeup routine.  She also submitted to having her head partially shaved, to achieve the high forehead the Queen Elizabeth fashioned. The influence of the 70's can be seen in the makeup of Jackson, whose rosy cheeks are contouring the cheekbones, rather than being circles of colour, which they would have been in the Elizabethan era.

(The Makeup Gallery, 2013, C16th Makeups:Glenda Jackson (online), [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/elizabethr.htm)

Anne-Marie Duff - The Virgin Queen - 2005

Anne-Marie Duff at the age of 35 played the role of Elizabeth from young, to old. This required many prosthetic pieces and makeup to achieve this realistically. Neill Gorton was responsible for the prosthetic makeup, alongside Lauge Voigt, sculpting the breasts and stomach of the older Elizabeth, Vicky Bancroft being the on-set applicator, Karen Hartley-Thomas was the makeup designer for the portrayal and Laura Schiavo was the makeup artist. The team also included hair stylists and makeup artists Maureen McGill and Anna Morena. Duff even had to wear false teeth nearing the end of her portrayal, which were provided by Fangs FX.

 Duff says of her portrayal: "I wanted to be a woman of her various ages and have integrity within it, not be doing an impression of something … I knew that with the makeup and costume I would look good – the prosthetics not only looked amazing but they gave my face restrictions that it wouldn’t normally have – and we worked on obvious things like vocal differences and the physicality … What I wanted to do was to try and find an old brittle bones approach … I hope I’ve achieved that. I kept thinking in my head, ‘Why on earth have they cast one actress, not two?’ but I just went for it and I hope that it works". 
(The Makeup Gallery, 2013, C16th Makeups: The Virgin Queen (online), [viewed 10/10/2014], available from  http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/virginamd.htm)

Helen Mirren - Elizabeth I - 2005

Helen Mirren stars in this ITV mini series, focusing on the last 24 years of the Queen's reign of England. The first part focuses on her relationship with the Earl of Leicester whilst the second focuses on her relationship with the Earl of Essex. Fae Hammond was the makeup designer for this production, working alongside Su Westwood, Gemma Richards and Jane Hope-Kavanagh as the hair and makeup artists. "I used very little makeup. I slightly thinned my mouth down and slightly thickened my eyebrows. That was it. It's all about how you hold your head". 

(The Makeup Gallery, 2013, C16th Makeups: Helen Mirren, Elizabeth I (online), [viewed on 10/10/2014], available from http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/elizabethhm.htm)

Judi Dench - Shakespeare In Love - 1998

Appearing for only 6 minutes throughout the whole film, Dame Judi Dench stars as the unbelievably tough Queen Elizabeth. She has been applauded for her 6 minutes of screenplay, critics claiming she 'owned those six minutes'. Nevertheless, Dench had to go through an extensive makeup job, by Lisa Westcott and Veronica Brebner. Westcott says "the Queen is quite old in the film she would have terrible skin--probably from mercury poisoning--so it was covered in makeup and her hair was undoubtedly falling out, so she always wore a wig. Apparently she had over 80 wigs, all different colors and her hairline would have receded from the front, giving her that rather severe look." It took the team approximately 4 hours to complete this look on Judi Dench, on the first day it is said the moment that Dench appeared in costume and makeup, the whole cast and crew went silent in awe. 

(The Makeup Gallery, 'Period: Shakespeare In Love' (online) [viewed 10/10/2014], available from: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/period/c16/uk/elizabeth/shakespearejd.htm)

Tudor Cosmetics

The Elizabethans went to extreme lengths to follow the fashions of the era, using many cosmetics with many foul ingredients. Elizabeth did hold many of the traits to be 'beautiful', but she used makeup to enhance and exaggerate them. Before Elizabeth reigned, people were more concerned about the care of their skin, using beeswax, honey and sesame seed oil to smooth and soften it, but as Elizabeth came to the throne, makeup was more widely and more excessively used. In 1562, after a few years of ruling England, she contracted small pox. This left her young, smooth skin ridden with scars, which is when the extreme use of white makeup came in. Elizabeth's makeup was deadly, as it was a mixture of white lead and vinegar, but known as 'Ceruse', which poisoned her slowly, and created scars and blemishes. The ceruse was not often removed, and throughout the day more would be applied over the top to keep her as pale as possible. The face paint was of a smooth texture, which dried on the face shiny, so people had to be careful not to laugh or move their face too much, or their makeup would crack. The lead inside the ceruse eventually poisoned many women, leading to their untimely deaths.
(Drea Leed, 1996-2008, Elizabethan Makeup (online), [viewed 3/10/2014], available from:http://www.elizabethancostume.net/makeup.html)

Elizabethan Makeup
http://laurenleto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/elizabethan-era-picture.html
2011.

As Elizabeth grew with age, her health deteriorated. Dental care was important to the Elizabethans, but they did not have the right equipment and ingredients to keep their teeth clean. With the excessive sugar intake the Tudors had, even Elizabeth's teeth began blackening and rotting away. It became such an issue that her cheeks began to cave in, so she had to stuff them with rags for public appearances. As the people noticed their Queen's blackening teeth, they wanted their own blackened teeth as well, it cannot be questioned that Elizabeth was a trend-setter! People used cosmetics to blacken their teeth, which then became a status symbol of nobility, as only the richer people could afford so much sugar. 

(Linda Alchin, 2014, Old Elizabethan Recipes (online), [viewed 3/10/2014], available from: http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/old-elizabethan-recipes.htm)

Portrait of Elizabeth I attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger or his studio, ca. 1595.
viewed 3/10/2014 @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England

Elizabethan Beauty

Queen Elizabeth I was a trend-setter of her time. Her curly, copper hair and pale complexion led many women dressing like her, she was considered to be the most beautiful of her time. 

Face - Had to be of the palest complexion they could achieve, often using poisonous white lead and vinegar, or being bled from the face. Egg whites were also used to hide wrinkles and fake a paler complexion. 

Eyes+Eyebrows - Eyes were outlined with kohl, and Belladonna was often used to enlarge the pupils, making the eyes look much larger. Kohl was also used on the eyebrows to create a high arch and high forehead - a sign of aristocracy - many women would pluck out their eyebrows and draw them back on.

Cheeks+Lips - The rosiness of red could be achieved by many ways on the cheeks, most often used was plant or animal dyes. Madder was most commonly used as the plant dye, whilst beetles were popular for the cheeks. They could also be reddened by egg whites and ochres. Lips could be reddened by madder and beetle, but also vermillion, a pigment found in mercury sulphide.

Hair - Not only was it that makeup had to be pale, fair hair was a must for this look too. Women would bleach their hair with many substances, including urine, cumin seeds, saffron, oil and celadine. It was clear that women would go to extreme lengths to achieve this look! Some women would shave their own hair and use a wig to have fashionable hair for the time. The hair once at the right pigment, would be adorned with jewels of all kinds, as a status symbol. 

(Linda Alchin, June 2014, 'Tudor Makeup'(online), [viewed 3/10/2014], available from: http://www.sixwives.info/tudor-make-up.htm)
(Dean Love, NatGeoTV, May 10th, 2013, Secrets of The Virgin Queen - Documentary(13:50), [viewed 3/10/2014], available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MjR0r1yN7A)

Men also had a fashion to follow, particularly with their hair. At the beginning of the era, many men wore their hair short, but as time went on, the fashion became longer hair. This long hair had to be curly, so many noble men used hot irons and wax to hold it. Facial hair also had to be long, and held in place with starch. 

Queen Elizabeth I, c. 1580.
Studio of Marcus Gheeraerts? 

Government Art Collection, UK.

http://forum.artinvestment.ru/blog.php?b=271632

This portrait by an unknown artist, to me shows the Elizabethan ideal of beauty. Elizabeth's face is face, her rosy cheeks and lips contrasting this. Her eyebrows are high-arched, and she has a high forehead (showing aristocracy). I found this portrait on a website called 'luminarium' on a page specifically for 'The faces of Elizabeth I'. This is relevant to my project, as this gives me clear reference as to how the Queen herself wore the makeup, the ultimate Elizabethan ideal. I find this painting interesting particularly, as the face protrudes from the image. Central to the canvas is the queen's head, lighter than everything else in the image so it pops out at the viewer. All attention is on her stare, then the eye starts to study the rest of the portrait, around the neckline and up to the hair, then flowing back down the hairpiece to the busily embroidered dress. I believe this piece would have been created in one of the Queen's drawing rooms, but due to it being a portrait, all attention needed to be on her and nothing else, so the artist has not included a busy background. The colours are all of a sepia tone, very warm and inviting, this conveys a feeling of warmth and care towards the Queen. If more blue tones were used, it would create a harsh, cold feel towards her. 

New Elizabethans - Project Brief

Hi all! 

About Me

I'm Georgia, and I am studying Makeup and Hair Design at Southampton Solent University. I am currently at the end of my second week here, and loving every minute. I haven't had any training at all in makeup, I have self taught, mainly just experimenting with different looks, products, and materials. I finished my A-Levels in Art, Photography and English Literature this July, but I have always been interested in makeup in all aspects, from movies, to fashion. I have had work experience with a makeup artist in Hertfordshire, and also work experience in a hairdressers. I would ultimately like to be working in special effects makeup for movies when I'm older, as I love creating fantasy looks.

The Brief

Our project brief named 'The New Elizabethans', is a mixture of contemporary and historical makeup,  based on the Elizabethan period. Queen Elizabeth I reigned from 1558-1603, often referred to as 'The Golden Age' in English History. The Golden Age saw the flourishing of poetry, music and literature, as well as the expansion and exploration abroad. Queen Elizabeth I was highly looked up to, she was a woman of great power. Her unmarried status led her to be depicted as a virgin or a goddess, making a virtue of her virginity. As she aged, Elizabeth's look became more and more elaborate, the heavy white makeup created the illusion of her beauty, hiding her ever-growing wrinkles. She wanted to keep with idea of being 'The Virgin Queen', so purity was important. The light hair and white complexion was often complimented with the rosy cheeks and red lips. Not only was the makeup completed to portray her purity, but also her nobility. (Drea Leed, 1996-2008, Elizabethan Makeup 101 (online) [viewed 3/10/2014], available from http://www.elizabethancostume.net/makeup.html). Makeup was used as a signal of a person's status. Women of low status would be outside working, and would acquire a tan, whereas a noble lady would be pale from being inside. The women went to extreme lengths to achieve this pale face, including being bled, and using a mixture of white lead and vinegar (which was poisonous).

I am very excited to start this project, particularly designing my own Elizabethan inspired look. Im fearful of the final 2 hours to create our final look, as I have never had a time limit to complete a look, so that is one skill I would like to work on for this task. Im excited to learn the practical skills to create my Elizabethan style look, which will aid my studies to become a professional makeup artist.