Elizabeth I & The Rainbow Portrait

Elizabeths looks in later life have be subsequently left out of history, the queen herself refused to have any of her portraits done without her say so; almost like a tutor Photoshop her portraits weren't realistic and were changed to suit the queens pleasure.

The portrait called "The Rainbow portrait" is a perfect example of this being painted when Elizabeth was sixty-eight in 1600 in the portrait Elizabeth is painted even though her age as relatively young. Even though a painting you can see the youthfulness in her skin full and unwrinkled.

The hair on her head is also a wig, due to Elizabeths hair in the history books being short and even described as "greying red hair" on the account she gave Philip Sidney (A English poet and Solider) a lock of her natural hair when she was around 39-42

Elizabeth  though never bald Elizabeth had extremely short and thin hair which was why she wore wigs like in the portrait in all Elizabeth rocked over 80 wigs.

The painting is a perfect example of a change in appearance from the book 'Maisse, Andre Hurualt' In which recalls the account of the French Ambassadors meeting with Elizabeth three years prior to the portrait being painted in 1600. The ambassador Andre Hurault-Sieur de Maisse describes Elizabeth;

 "Her bosom is somewhat wrinkled as well as one can see for the collar that she wears round her neck, but lower down her flesh is exceeding white and delicate, so far as one could see."

                                        http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/elizabethI.htm

Off course now looking onto 'The Rainbow Portrait' for any similar references to this quote doesn't match at all Elizabeth at the time was meant to be in her sixties, the painting by Isaac Oliver. Expressed as the most colourful Tutor painting of the time Elizabeth I is painted as the immortal and Virgin queen loved by her people.

http://www.everypainterpaintshimself.com/article/isaac_olivers_rainbow_portrait_of_queen_elizabeth_i_c.1600

Here is a great site that actually looks into the painter motives for painting Elizabeths features.