Historic Appreciation

"Historic Appreciation" may seem an odd blog title but all will be revealed as you read.
Basically I went to visit Woburn Abbey recently which for people who don't live in the area is in the county of Bedfordshire.

  Now Woburn Abbey isn't famous for anything in particular except perhaps its extensive Deer park which covers many many acres of land, however while looking round we discovered a true historic treasure hidden amongst the classic tapestries and brocade covered furniture.

Not only did we get to view some small drawings that Queen Victoria drew with her husband Albert for the countess who lived at Woburn Abbey but we also came across one of the most famous historic paintings of an English monarch that there ever was. The most brilliant, utterly fascinating and strong woman that is Queen Elizabeth I, She was one of the strongest monarch that England has ever had and proved to many a men that a woman was capable of thinking, making decisions and coping perfectly well without a man at her side. As you can probably tell, I am a big Fan!
However the original portrait we came across of her was the famous and classic portrait of her with the Spanish Armada.

When I saw this painting in Woburn Abbey just casually hanging there, I was amazed because one I thought this  can't possibly be the original and two if so why aren't people more excited! This is an iconic portrait as everyone knows, now I'm no artist or de vinci but even I can see how important and impressive this portrait of her is!
There are many symbols that have been placed into this painting, the first is clear in the two "window paintings" behind her. On her left is the Spanish Armada with their ships being blown up and set on fire by the English ships, whereas in the right is a very stormy sea where the Spanish Armada is being thrown about by the sea and being destroyed.
The pearls that Elizabeth is wearing symbolize not only England's wealth as a country but show that she is parading her virginity and chastity to the world. She is wearing black and white as they are her favorite colours and the white on black creates for a dramatic affect while again symbolizing her virginity.
Her hand rests on a globe while her fingers cover the Americas, showing England's dominion of the seas and plans for expansion and domination of the New Worlds.
On her right is a mermaid which is carved onto the chair of state which can represent the wiles of females luring sailors to their deaths which could be to show her defeat of the Spanish Armada or as a contrast to the virginal status of the queen which is demonstrated elsewhere throughout the portrait.
Overall it is one of the most famous paintings of her and I was amazed to think I had seen the original. However many other people I have told my story to of seeing were not very enthusiastic about it and some didn't even know to which painting I was referring too.
Some of the other original paintings which were also on display were
 
Phillip II and Mary I - a famous painting as although Mary was Queen of England in her own right. she is shown here in the position of Consort, also the couple were never together for long enough periods of a time to actually sit for this portrait so they were each painted separately and then painted in.

This is the most well known painting of Jane Seymour who was Henry VIII's third wife who gave him his son Edward and who he asked to be buried next too.
I would encourage anyone who has an interest in the Tudors to visit Woburn Abbey not because the place is particularly well connected to Tudor History but just to gawk over the originals of some these famous portraits of Tudor monarchs.
I would like to think that some of the people who read this blog post will appreciate the painting and what it represents however I realise now that many will not.
love laura :)