UN - Essex Me | Shakespeare and Elizabethan Art

Art is such a heavily debated topic among individuals today of what is actually considered to be categorized as art. However, during Shakespeare's day, art was not in constant discussion by the critics, but something to be admired and valued as it took dedication, skill, and craftsmanship to create a piece that was worthy of money. There was no question of what art was; unlike today where a cardboard box could be declared as art if it were to be an installation piece in a contemporary museum. There is no question what was art when you have skilled and gifted artists, such as da Vinci or Michelangelo, if they existed during your time. 

Luckily, my open-mindedness as an IB Art student has allowed me to accept almost anything as a form of art. As a viewer, I do not question the worthiness of an art piece as I have first hand experience of developing compositions that may not be worthy of being called "art" by the general public. The Contemporary art movement that currently categorizes today's works have pushed the limits of what "art" means. With advancements in technology and new found ways to manipulate materials, art has become than an oil painting or marble sculpture. 

Today, I will be analyzing a piece by Nicholas Hilliard, an English artist that lived in London during 16th century. Below, is the miniature portrait he composed of a ~ young man ~ that may or may not be Robert Devereux, the Second Earl of Essex. Completed in 1588, the portrait was comprised of vellum laid on card cut into an oval shape. Also included is a sketch I completed of portrait - and just let me say, portraiture is not my forte. The proportions may be a little off (especially the size of the forehead, but at least his eyebrows are on point), but I'll save my criticisms for later.

Nicholas Hilliard
Portrait of a Young Man (Probably Robert Devereux, Second Earl of Essex), 1588
Vellum laid on card
Oval, 15/8 x 13/8 inches

Mady Ignacio
The Interpretation Sketch, 2018
Graphite on Mix Media Paper

There are a couple of things I initially noticed about the decisions the artist made that were directly influenced by the time the portrait was created. The first being the contrast between the figure's pale skin tone with the dark blue background and his dark brown hair; it places emphasis on the face itself, and highlights the delicate features of the nose, eyes, and lips. The second observation I made was that the intricate patterns of the lace and bodice juxtaposes the softness of the facial features, which is evident through the light shading and the lack of contrast within the face.

With everything pointing back to the structure of the face, it is needless to say that the portraits painted during this time, the Elizabethan Era, all looked similar with the pale skin and baby like features. During this era of the Tudor Period, it has been often called the "golden age" of British history as it was a time of peace and prosperity around the nation. This influence showed up in art, especially portraits, as those who were being depicted wanted to fuller and paler faces to convey the message of their wealth as they had the money to eat large meals and have any outside labor to be done for them.

In this portrait specifically, it is evident that the subject (possibly Robert Devereux, Second Earl of Essex) wanted to convey that same message through the use of the soft shading and harsh contrast between to the fore and background. The only place where contrast is evident is where the chin is defined, giving the illusion of a soft jawline of a baby rather than the harsh one of a man. It also could have been the Hilliard's decision to depict the subject in this manner to bring about flattery, and possibly earn more money from creating this illusion of the sitter.

Upon further examination of this miniature portrait, it looks like Hilliard was trying to create an illusion of innocence within the sitter, as the subject was only 22 years old and had been given the title of such great power at a young age. After much comparison, it had been deducted that the sitter was most likely to be Robert Devereux, the Second Earl of Essex, due to the age and facial features presented in the portrait. What is ironic about the messaged conveyed by the portrait and who it is subjected around is that Robert Devereux was eventually accused of treason for leading a rebellion against the queen. Leading up to his eventual execution as a traitor.