Elizabeth Tudor, daughter of King Henry VIII of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was born September 7, 1533 at Greenwich Palace near the English capital city of London. She was half-sister to Edward VI and Mary Tudor, later to be called Bloody Mary, and third in line behind them to inherit the throne of England. Her early life was tumultuous and fraught with intrigue and danger.Her father married six times and at his death there began a jockeying for position in the court which lasted through the reigns of Mary, Edward, the nine day reign of Jane Grey, eventually seeing the crown come to rest on the head of Elizabeth Tudor, who claimed the throne at the age of 25 on November 17, 1558. Elizabeth did not marry, opting to reign as the Virgin Queen, but she often used her lack of a spouse as a weapon of state, fomenting intrigue and bringing foreign princes into obedience to her, hinting to them that they might have a chance to share her throne.
She reigned for 44 years, dying March 24, 1603 and was the last of the Tudors. She is arguably the greatest monarch England has ever known, taking her realm to dizzying heights in the arts and commerce. The significance of Elizabeth’s impact on world history cannot be over-estimated. In 1588 the huge Spanish Armada which sailed to attack England was destroyed. It was a hallmark in history and fueled the legend of the queen. It also marked the beginning of a decline in English fortunes.
The last decade of her reign was marked with political infighting, for she had lived far longer than anyone ever dreamed possible and the succession was unclear. The Elizabethan era was considered a golden age in the history of England. It was certainly a Renaissance in the best sense of the word. English literature and poetry flowered, with writers such as William Shakespeare producing works that are performed today with just as much relevance as when they were new. These plays were a radical departure from the period pieces which had been the norm up to that point in English theater.
The age of expansion began under Elizabeth I. Exploration began on a grand scale. This period was such a departure from the past that it stands today, clearly delineated in the historical record and sets the Elizabethan Age apart from all that had gone before. The Protestant Reformation was begun and architecture, culminating in a style today called Tudor.
It followed the Perpendicular Style and is defined by the four-center arch seen in some of the colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. Although Hans Holbein the Younger was of German origin he is considered an English artist.Art never flourished in England as it had in Italy and other parts of Europe and may have given Napoleon what he considered an insult to the peoples of that island empire when he said that England is a ‘nation of shopkeepers’. The reign of Elizabeth I was perhaps a Pax Anglo, but it was over glorified during the reign of Victoria, the longest reigning monarch in English history, who perhaps blew the significance of the era out of proportion. Culturally it was significant for its achievements, but politically and economically for the people it was business as usual, and that business was not good.
And even though it was socially acceptable during that period of history, there is still the fact that England of the Golden Age of Elizabeth I made fortunes and caused endless and untold misery dealing in humans, exporting slaves from their colonies and placing them where they were needed as conscript labor. Textiles and Decorative Arts of the Elizabethan Age The art of the Elizabethan Age was devoted to portraiture and to miniature portraits in particular. Artists brought their children into the family business, creating, in effect, dynasties.What would be considered decorative arts was centered in textiles and embroidered wall hangings with elaborate needle-work. Often these designs were done by important artists of the period.
It was not until the late 18th century that machinery was invented to relieve the intense labor of the manufacture of textiles. Up to that point the production of the material was dependant upon countless man-hours of arduous labor. The labor involved it its production, coupled with the expense of the raw goods ensured that textiles were a luxury item and only acquired by the wealthy.This assured that the items were an important trade item on the international market. In the heady atmosphere of the upper classes acquisition of textiles indicated not only the appreciation for beauty, but was a mark of distinction and established relative status. Textiles were utilized both in dress and in furnishings.
The lower echelons of society prized even the simple fabric, and tended it as an heirloom of their house, taking care to conserve and preserve it for themselves and their posterity.Embroidery is usually considered to be the work of needle and thread upon cloth, although by strict definition this is not the case, and it can include decorative work on fiber, leather and various other materials. The invention of the loom gave the world textiles but the looms of the Elizabethan period could not produce the decorative motifs so revered by the people of the era. Such works as are seen in palaces, museums and fine homes today are the product of countless hours of a person or a group of people laboriously using a needle to pull colored threads through the fabric.The embroiderer has near total freedom of expression, which was not possible on the looms of that period. They could create free-form decoratives or florals and they could illustrate scenes from the bible, from myth and legend or even create stunning fabric portraitures.
Embroidery was done by ladies of breeding, wealth and position, as an honored way to spend their hours. Skill with a needle was considered to be an integral part of the education process of a well-born young lady.Still, there were professional guilds in the Elizabethan period and they did the vast majority of the major works known today. The nobility purchased most of the work while the church was equally a good customer, utilizing a fair share of the production, for such was required in the liturgy. The priests’ vestments needed embroidery as well as the covers of the bibles and, of course, the hangings, purely decorative, but necessary to inspire awe in the flock.
The expansion of the middle class gave rise to a demand for decorative domestic silver.The Metropolitan Museum of Art has splendid examples of how even what might be considered mundane objects were created in precious metals. They possess a standing salt vessel, magnificent in its conception and execution, created by the anonymous artisan, I. G. , and presented to the city of London. This unknown master was active circa 1571-1592.
“The salt was originally part of the plate of the City of London. Standing salts, used at banquets or feasts, were placed in the middle of the main table in front of the host. ” It is a classic example of Elizabethan plate.The piece is adorned with bas reliefs of vegetables, fruits and grotesques, along with strapwork.
It is capped by a figure finial which gives it height and establishes its placement on the banquet table. The Elizabethan Period gave rise to a period of artistic and literary rebirth in England. The works produced there are world treasures today and stand as a tribute to a nation and the indomitable will of the woman they lovingly called Good Queen Bess, for it was her love of art and beauty which inspired the production of so many of the world treasures which exist today.
