Review: 'Elizabeth Ane As Well As Her People' At The National Portrait Gallery

It comes every bit no surprise that inward a twelvemonth which celebrates lx years since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II nosotros should cause got some other exhibition nearly a Queen called Elizabeth.

This fourth dimension it's Elizabeth I in addition to Her People which opened today at the National Portrait Gallery. It volition travel along until v Jan 2014.

(The maiden off Elizabeth exhibition was lastly year's real successful exhibition - encounter my Review: 'The Queen - Art in addition to Image' at the NPG 24 May 2012)

Key aspects of the exhibition

A lot of idea has gone into the presentation of the exhibition. I was real impressed every bit shortly every bit I walked through the door.

Entrance to the exhibition - nearly the state at the fourth dimension of Elizabeth
On the left a fair at Bermondsey
On the correct Queen Elizabeth I on ane of her processions

They've kept the BP construction in addition to built around it to do archways in addition to windows which assist to reinforce the notion that this exhibition is nearly fine art from some 400-450 years ago.  Queen Elizabeth I (1533 - 1603) reigned from 17 Nov 1558 until her death

A persuasion looking dorsum through the exhibition
the display cases present woman mortal in addition to manly mortal accoutrements of clothes - pilus pins, pomanders in addition to guns!
On the left is a Family Tree - amongst pictures of the dissimilar individuals

It's for certain a real attractive exhibition inward terms of structure, the hang in addition to display cases. However I do wonder whether people volition live able to appreciate it every bit I was able to do yesterday ane time the Wolfson Gallery is total of people!  I oftentimes intend the NPG could do amongst a lot to a greater extent than infinite for its temporary exhibitions!

We walk into a quick introduction to what Elizabethan life looks similar - inward terms of the extent of Elizabethan England


I'm a consummate mapoholic so I was at nowadays consumed amongst involvement for the 2 real onetime maps at the maiden off of the exhibition. Here's the interactive zoomable epitome of the map shown below on loan from the British Library.  It gives a real proficient feel of how large London is. I'd cause got loved to cause got seen the people inward the portraits located inward terms of where they lived or worked inward London.  The links below larn to the Tudor descriptions of the building

Panorama of London by William Smith (1550-1618)
View of London, Westminster in addition to Southwark, ink in addition to pigments on vellum, British Library
From correct to left you lot tin encounter
the Tower of London on the extreme right, where Elizabeth's woman bring upwards was beheaded on Tower Green
consummate amongst a existent moat, at nowadays inward reject every bit a imperial residence
"old" London Bridge with some of the 200 buildings situated on it,
Southwark Cathedral (already 500 years onetime inward Tudor times!)
the round bull in addition to bear-baiting pits at Bankside (where Tate Modern is at nowadays situated)
Old St Paul's Cathedral after the spire was destroyed past times lightning
in addition to earlier the Great Fire (left of centre on the horizon)
in addition to the Palace of Whitehall where Henry VII had lived every bit an adult
Westminster Hall - which at nowadays forms role of the Houses of Parliament
in addition to Westminster Abbey to the extreme left

Enough of maps!

There's a lot of portraits of the Queen in addition to the nobility - major people at her court. I particularly enjoyed ones less oftentimes seen- such every bit the merely massive epitome from Hardwicke Hall - which is best appreciated piece looking through the 'window' from the side past times side gallery.

Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I
(Left) Elizabeth I (known every bit the Darnley portrait) past times an unknown continental artist
(centre) Elizabeth I - usually hangs at Hardwick Hall
(right) Elizabeth I, the Ermine portrait - attributed to Nicholas Hilliard

Some of the portraits of the Queen were produced from templates. This explains why she keeps the same facial features for so long!  The exhibition every bit good emphasises the real many dissimilar ways inward which people accessed her portrait - including via the coinage of the realm.  Apparently ane of the smart things she did when she became Queen was to telephone telephone inward all the coins in addition to and so had them reissued amongst her caput on all the coins!

However it's non exactly nearly the Queen. 

Nobility, Gentry in addition to the Moorish Amabassador
That's Sir Walter Raleigh on the left - amongst a surprise inside the painting

Following on from the Queen are portraits of the nobility in addition to gentry associated amongst Elizabeth. These are typically people amongst land, titles in addition to money.  There are some amazing pocket-size paintings inward watercolour in addition to gouache.  The room every bit good displays portraits of 2 good known seafarers - Sir Walter Raleigh in addition to Sire Martin Frobisher

In Tudor times, there's a major ascent inward the middle classes in addition to large increment inward the population of the City of London.  There's a consequential require for the provision of goods in addition to services for these people in addition to the professional person in addition to merchant classes - in addition to inward fourth dimension a require for portrait artists to serve the middle classes 

Portraiture became real pop during the Tudor period.  The exhibition every bit good includes portraits of gentry (people amongst money in addition to state - but typically non titles) in addition to civilians - mainly the merchant shape (entrepreneurs) in addition to professionals - bankers, clergymen, lawyers, doctors goldsmiths, butchers, calligraphers, playwrights - in addition to fifty-fifty an artist!  This is an era when portraiture started to affair to other people who could every bit good afford to committee a portrait. However portraits continued to cause got a lot of symbolic content - non so much nearly the mortal so much every bit an cite for who this mortal is in addition to the nature of the agency they'd similar to acquaint themselves to the world.

Room 4: paintings of merchants, bankers in addition to professional person men in addition to women

A laid of Tudor drawing instruments c.1565-75Lent past times the Trustees of the British Museum
The exhibition has a fascinating collection of artifacts inward display cases
which relate to the portraits in addition to the people portrayed

In my view, at that spot are a lot of similarities inward themes amongst the Facing the Modern - The Portrait inward Vienna 1900 at the National Gallery which I visited the 24-hour interval before.  If you're coming to the exhibition, you lot mightiness similar to encounter 2 exhibitions dorsum to dorsum in addition to encounter what you lot spot every bit beingness the enduring themes relating to portraiture

The exhibition doesn't focus much on artistic practices so much every bit the terminate result - how people could live portrayed during the fourth dimension of Elizabeth.  However at that spot are a few pointers:

• portraits of the fourth dimension could involve ane painter epitome the caput in addition to other painters epitome costumes on a mannequin
• drawings from Tudor times are rare.  However this exhibition includes what appears to live a preparatory drawing for a portrait of Elizabeth 1
• there every bit good examples of miniatures in addition to the exercise of cameos - every bit rings.

The Tudors were extremely interested inward costume in addition to dress - thus the emphasis inward portraits tends to live on what they wore.  Who knew that obviously dark stuff was a sign of wealth - due to the quantity of dye required to hit character dark cloth?  

and finally..... they were absolutely obsessed amongst detail.  Some of the embroidering in addition to jewellery displayed inward portraits is absolutely fantastic. Those who similar realism require to come upwards in addition to report some of the paintings inward this exhibition.  The marking of exceptional portrayed at times is quite staggering.  They're non so interested inward perspective or proportion.  Psychology plays no role inward their concepts of what portraiture is about.  Their paintings are all nearly telling you lot who this mortal is in addition to what their standing is.  They remind me somewhat of Dutch Still Life paintings which tell a even out - except these are portraits

The skirt of the Hardwick Hall portrait - amongst pictures of nature - animals, birds, flowers in addition to fruit

My favourite portrait was ane which was a lot less formal than the rest.  This is a portrait of a noble adult woman at her dressing table.

Elizabeth Vernon, Countess of Southampton

Digital resources

I do want the NPG would render much clearer navigation to the narrative nearly in addition to images of the exhibition online.  A link on the abode page for the exhibition to what is described every bit an introductory celluloid past times the curator (which I'd already seen - thus why I didn't initially click it) vastly underplays what's on offer.

Here's the digital resources which are available nearly this exhibition

The films (plural) focus on the dissimilar rooms of the exhibition.  My criticism would live I'd cause got liked to encounter lot less talking heads in addition to much to a greater extent than images from the exhibition.

• Introduction to the Elizabethan Age (3m24s) - a real helpful inroduction inward narrative terms but images to larn amongst the even out instead of exactly a talking caput would cause got been nice
• Encountering the Queen: Portraits of Elizabeth I (3m27s).  See also Queen Elizabeth I ('The Darnley portrait') (3m29s)
• The Nobility in addition to Gentry (1m07s)
• Elizabethan Merchants in addition to Portraiture (2m07s)
• Cultural Changes: Public Theatres in addition to Literacy (2m30s)
• Social Mobility inward the Elizabethan Period (1m14s)
• The Elizabethan Bookshelf (2m11s) - this highlights books inward the exhibition - including a Herbal

There's never going to live plenty infinite to supersede the want to purchase a catalogue - in addition to indeed to a greater extent than data in addition to to a greater extent than images mightiness genuinely Pb to to a greater extent than visitors!  That's every bit good every bit beingness helpful to people who are unable to visit.  In this historic menstruum of digital communication, I do intend a National Gallery every bit good needs to intend long in addition to difficult nearly how it tin communicate its exhibitions to people who don't alive inward or can't larn to London.  The game mightiness live fun - but I'd rather encounter investment inward an abbreviated digital catalogue - amongst to a greater extent than nearly the fundamental themes of the exhibition.

How to encounter the exhibition

Advance booking is highly recommended for this exhibition. The gallery used for the exhibition is ane which tin larn real hot at times.  However I'm assured that the numbers visiting at whatsoever ane fourth dimension volition live express - via timed ticketing.  Hence if you lot want to encounter this exhibition at a fourth dimension convenient to you, I'd start booking your tickets now.

This is an exhibition which is jump to live real pop amongst schools in addition to schoolhouse children doing the Tudors inward primary school.  If you lot want to avoid lots of pocket-size children, I'd suggest visiting afterward 3pm - which is usually when they start to disappear.

For those bringing children to London to encounter the exhibition you lot mightiness similar to every bit good cause got inward an associated exhibition.  The Cheapside Hoard: London’s Lost Jewels at the Museum of Londo  ls in addition to gemstones which were recovered inward . xi Oct 2013 – 27 Apr 2014. www.museumoflondon.org.uk

Other reviews of the exhibition

• Daily Telegraph - Elizabeth I in addition to her People, National Portrait Gallery, review - Absolutely lamentable in addition to ignorant.  The so-called "art critic" Alastair Smart judges portraits of the 16th century past times standards associated amongst the 20th in addition to 21st centuries i.e. that portraits should live nearly the people in addition to non their status.  Has he e'er heard of putting the cart earlier the horse? How tin you lot gauge portraiture past times concepts which cause got non yet been invented? The whole betoken of the curator's scholarly endeavours is to demonstrate that Tudor times was the maiden off menstruum where painters started to brand portraits of ordinary people - but these were all the same of professionals.  The whole thesis of the article assumes that Holbein had some amazing psychological insight into the people he painted - every bit opposed to beingness an fantabulous draughtsman in addition to painter. 
• The Guardian - Sir Walter Raleigh's crescent Moon compliment to Elizabeth I revealed opts for the latest press unloosen theme in addition to an interesting even out - but says petty nearly the exhibition.  Maybe they didn't genuinely see the exhibition?

Exhibition details

ELIZABETH I AND HER PEOPLE Supported past times The Weiss Gallery
10 Oct 2013 - v Jan 2014, National Portrait Gallery, London www.npg.org.uk

• Gift Aid ticket prices: (includes voluntary Gift Aid donation of 10% inward a higher house criterion price): Adult £13.50, Concs. £12.50/£11.50 
• Standard ticket prices: Adult £12.50, Concs £11.30 / £10.40)

Elizabeth I in addition to Her People is curated past times Dr Tarnya Cooper, the National Portrait Gallery’s Chief Curator in addition to its Curator of Sixteenth Century Portraits. She is the writer of A Guide to Tudor & Jacobean Portraits (2008) in addition to Citizen Portrait – Portrait Painting in addition to the Urban Elite, 1540–1620 (2012).

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