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Picture of the day
Portraiture of Elizabeth I of England
The "Darnley portrait", the official portrait of Elizabeth I of England, likely painted from life ca. 1575–76. This portrait is the source of a face pattern which would be used and reused for authorized portraits of Elizabeth into the 1590s, preserving the impression of ageless beauty. It features a crown and sceptre on a table beside the queen, and was the first appearance of these symbols of sovereignty separately used as props (rather than worn and carried) in Tudor portraiture, a theme that would be expanded in later portraits.Artist: Unknown