Portrait of Elizabeth I with a pelican emblem
In 'Elizabeth I with a pelican emblem', painted by Nicholas Hilliard around 1574, a number of devices are used to communicate messages about Elizabeth, including pearls (purity), the Tudor rose (unity) and the pelican pendant pinned on her chest (love). The pelican brought with it a whole host of associations that Elizabeth adopted for herself and it became one of her favourite symbols. Mother pelicans were believed to pluck their own breasts to feed their starving young, often dying in the process (a legend which originated in misunderstanding of their grooming habits). During the Middle Ages the pelican was seen as symbol of Christ's sacrifice, dying on the cross to save mankind. This potent symbol of self-sacrifice and motherly love was co-opted by Elizabeth. It was used to represent her as 'mother' of her Protestant nation and to signify her commitment to her subjects.
Elizabeth is dressed in the colours that made up much of her wardrobe – black, white, red and gold. In addition to the jewels on the gown, the colours themselves sent messages of wealth and status. For instance, bright red fabrics were dyed with cochineal. Spain controlled the trade in cochineal and this, combined with the complicated dying process involved, meant that its use was restricted to the very wealthy.
Black was also expensive to produce and fashionable amongst the elite. Blackwork is embroidery of black thread on white cloth in linear patterns used to create a lace-like effect. It was popular during the Tudor era, when lace was difficult to obtain, and reached its heyday during the reign of Elizabeth I. The partlet (undershirt) and sleeves of Elizabeth's outfit are blackwork of Tudor roses. Few examples of blackwork have survived, as the iron oxide used in dyeing the black silk thread had a corrosive effect, rotting the fibres of garments. Much of the information about blackwork and the types of designs favoured has been gleaned from portraits of the period, such as this.
Nicholas Hilliard (1547–1619) was the closest there was to a 'court painter' and he was one of the few artists who painted Elizabeth from life. He painted the Queen over a 30-year period and helped to construct the image of her as an icon of beauty and virtue. Although he painted some large-scale works, such as this one, he is best known for his exquisite miniatures.