Painting of Queen Elizabeth I - the Armada Portrait

Painting of Queen Elizabeth I - the Armada Portrait - on sale

An unknown artist painted one of the best-known portraits of Queen Elizabeth I in the Armada Portrait (circa 1590). It celebrates the British navy’s 1588 victory over the Spanish fleet, the Spanish Armada. Sir Francis Drake first owned the painting, and it remains in the possession of his descendants.

Those descendants have decided to sell the painting, one of three versions of the portrait. The British museums and the Art Fund announced on Monday 23 May 2016 that they have started a campaign to raise ten million pounds ($14.5 million) to buy the painting and ensure that it returns to Britain. The Royal Museums Greenwich and the Art Fund are leading the campaign.

It is a beautiful portrait of the bejewelled queen in front of two seascapes; one of the English fleet preparing for battle, and the other of the defeated Spanish Armada. Her right hand rests on a globe. Christine Riding, the head of arts at Royal Museums Greenwich, said ‘It is the painting that represents everything about the Elizabethan age, including Shakespeare, the moment when England began to rule the waves, and Elizabeth’s reign … the queen as a strong and just woman.’

The painting will be on display at the National Maritime Museum during the pre-sale period. If the funding campaign is successful, the portrait will be relocated to the Queen’s House on the site of the original Greenwich Palace where Elizabeth I was born. The other two versions are in the Woburn Abbey and the National Portrait Gallery.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/24/arts/design/campaign-underway-to-save-a-queen-elizabeth-portrait.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

MARTINA NICOLLS is the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...

The acacia thorn trees of Kenya

There are nearly 800 species of acacia trees in the world, and most don’t have thorns. The famous "whistling thorn tree" and the Umbrella Thorn tree of Kenya are species of acacia that do have thorns, or spines. Giraffes and other herbivores normally eat thorny acacia foliage, but leave the whistling thorn alone. Usually spines are no deterrent to giraffes. Their long tongues are adapted to strip the leaves from the branches despite the thorns. The thorny acacia like dry and hot conditions. The thorns typically occur in pairs and are 5-8 centimetres (2-3 inches) long. Spines can be straight or curved depending on the species. MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Suda...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog