Today we are doing a Tudor portrait and propaganda episode and we’re looking at the portrait of Elizabeth I. There are actually a couple of portraits where Elizabeth is holding a sieve. So in this video, we are going to look at the George Gower one. It is in the Folger Shakespeare Library today. This portrait is a masterpiece of Renaissance Art, a testament to the intricate interplay of symbolism, politics, and personal Image during Elizabeth I’s reign.
Let’s explore the layers of meaning in the painting, the artistic genius behind it, and its role in shaping the legacy of one of England’s most iconic monarchs.
At he heart of this portrait lies the sieve, an object rich in allegorical significance. Its connection to the Roman vestal virgin Tuccia is a clever nod to Elizabeth’s self-styled image as the Virgin Queen. Also I just have to say, here’s another example of Elizabethan bringing up Rome in their portraits. We did that video the other day of how the Tudors and Elizabethans saw the Roman Empire, how often they thought about the Roman Empire here is yet one more example.
So the priestesses of Vestals, the Vestal Virgins were the Roman goddesses of the Hearth. They were required to remain chaste, when the Priestess Tuccia was accused of breaking this requirement. She apparently proved her virginity by carrying water in and without spilling a drop. Not sure how that works but it apparently proved her virginity, and so that is an imagery that people looking at this portrait would have been familiar with.
By aligning herself with Tuccia, Elizabeth cleverly sidestepped the traditional expectations of marriage and succession, of course asserting her independence and her authority as a ruler in her own right. Some historians say that the Queen specifically intended the association with Tuccia with herself because of rumors going around of her unchastity.
This was over a decade after Amy Robsart died. It’s also a year after Dudley had married someone else, but there were rumors persisting with all of these paramour that Elizabeth had. Â I did a video a couple months ago on all of the different men that courted Elizabeth.
She wanted to have that sieve as an association that she actually was quite chaste. Also, there’s an inscription on the rim of the sieve which is a nod to the Queen’s discernment. Of course, the sieve separates out the good from the bad, so this is saying that Elizabeth is able to discern the good from the bad in her country, and ensure that of course only the good reaches her country.
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There is a globe depicted behind the Queen. This isn’t just a backdrop it’s a powerful symbol of the era’s spirit of exploration and conquest. The inscription “TVTTO VEDO ET MOLTO MANCHA” highlights Elizabeth’s global awareness and ambition. It speaks volumes about the Queen’s vision for England’s role on the world stage. It subtly communicates her intentions to expand her realm and influence reflecting the burgeoning spirit of the Elizabethan age.
George Gower’s artistic prowess is evident in every brushstroke of this portrait. His ability to blend realism with idealization, creates an image of Elizabeth that is both authentic and larger than life. The influence of the Darnley portrait is apparent in the Queen’s posture and attire, yet Gower’s rendition is unique in its integration of symbolism and detail.
The opulent dress adorned with gold and silver and the elaborate headdress are not just fashion statements but visual assertions of royal power and wealth. This portrait was painted during a significant period in Elizabeth’s reign. She was about 46 years old. She was firmly established on the throne yet her most iconic moments were still to come.
We still have the Armada to come which is one of the most famous of course episodes in Elizabeth’s life. We’re also still about eight years away from the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. By 1579 she still had not had those iconic kind of pivotal moments yet.
So the Sieve Portrait captures a moment of transition from a queen consolidating her power to one who would become a legendary figure in British history in Tudor England. Portraiture was a powerful medium for propaganda. Every element in this painting, from the placement of the royal coat of arms to the Latin and Italian inscriptions was meticulously chosen to convey specific messages about the Queen’s virtue, wisdom, and divine right to rule.
This portrait is a masterclass in visual rhetoric using symbolism and allegory to reinforce Elizabeth’s image as a monarch of unparalleled wisdom and virtue. The journey of the Sieve Portrait to the Folger Shakespeare Library is a tale in and of itself. It was acquired by George Arthur Plimpton and later bequeathed to the library. This painting not only reflects the tastes and interests of its collectors but also the changing perceptions of Elizabeth over the centuries.
George Arthur Plimpton had acquired the painting by around 1930 and then his son Francis Plimpton inherited it when George died in 1936, and then it was the younger Plimpton who bequeathed the work to the Folger Shakespeare Library.
The artist George Gower was born in Yorkshire around 1540 and died around 1596 in London. By 1573 he was working in London, he was working as a Portrait Painter and he painted people like Sir Thomas Kitson and his wife Elizabeth both in 1573. And then Elizabeth Knollys in 1576.
In 1571, he was actually appointed Elizabeth’s Sergeant painter for life. So after that, George Gower and Nicholas Hilliard tried to streamline production of images of Elizabeth so that their production was exclusive to just Hilliard and Gower. Sadly for Gower, this attempt failed. No images of the queen credited to Gower during his lifetime exist anymore. The attribution for this painting was actually done by art historians by Roy Strong based on the stylistic grounds.
So there you have it, a deep dive into the 1579 Sieve Portrait of Elizabeth. Not just a painting, it’s a historical document that offers invaluable insights into the art politics and culture of the Elizabethan era. As we unravel its layers, we gain deeper understanding of how Elizabeth skillfully crafted her image and how artists like George Gower played a crucial role in immortalizing her legacy. Check it out at the website of the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Related link:
Tudor Portraits and Propaganda
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast,  one of the longest running indie history podcasts, going since 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. She writes books, created the original Tudor Planner (a yearly diary filled with Tudor history) and in 2019 created the world's first Tudorcon (you can "attend" online this year!). She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.