MINIATURE PORTRAITS OF ELIZABETH I BY NICHOLAS HILLIARD AS A TOOL FOR PROPAGANDA ROYALTY

Abstract

The article examines the portrait artistic miniatures of Nicholas Gilliard, a famous English court painter and jeweller, whose work is generally attributed to the late English Renaissance. In particular, the well-known facts from the creative life of the artist, which have been preserved in historical references to our time, are highlighted; special attention was paid to the artistic activity of Nicholas Gillard during his official court service. The cultural and historical significance of the figure of the artist, his contribution to the popularization of images of the royal family in the society of that time are considered. Modern art history defines the portrait miniature as a separate, special artistic genre that originated in the 16th century and was popular until the beginning of the 19th century. At first, it was customary to create small personal images only for representatives of the royal family, but over time, the fashion for creating miniatures expanded among the noble nobility. Today, the miniature is a subject for research in the field of art history, at one time such images became a kind of political business card of their owner, one of the methods of creating a political image of the royal person, which gives reason to consider portrait miniatures as one of the ancient forms of political propaganda. The combination of the simplicity of the depicted lines and the maximum similarity of the portraits are the key features that mark the artistic talent of Nicholas Gilliard as a miniaturist. The fact that he worked as a court artist for many years makes it possible to compare the evolution not only of his skill, but also of the image of Queen Elizabeth I in art, on the example of his miniatures. We analysed his miniature through the prism of the figure of Queen Elizabeth I in history; identified the artistic details and techniques used by the author to reproduce with the help of a miniature not only an image similar in appearance, but also the character of the queen, her status and general image.