In this portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, we see her against a rich red backdrop. I believe the colour of the background is very deliberate, and is gives the picture a much more regal, authoritative feel, than if it was set against a more muted colour.
Queen Elizabeth is wearing a beautifully elaborate gown, again lending to the regal, wealthy image I believe she is trying to portray. The shape of the dress- narrow sleeves with broad tops, tight-fitted, front-opening bodices with very full overskirts and low, curved necklines, was not only extremely fashionable at the time, but also gives her quite a powerful stature.
The portrait is named “The Phoenix Portrait” because of the Phoenix jewel at her breast. The Phoenix itself is a mythical bird that symbolises rebirth and chasity- both of these quite important to Queen Elizabeth, because by the time this portrait was painted, she had transformed herself into “The Virgin Queen”. I believe by having something so symbolical in her portrait, she was sending a message of reassurance to her people, and a firm message of knowing who she was, and reiterating her status to her peers.
One interesting note about the gown, is that underneath all the embroidery and embellishments, the fabric is blue. Blue was typically a colour worn by the lower classes at the time. This makes me think that she was trying to send a message to her people, or perhaps trying to make herself seem easier to relate to.
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