Historical Portraits: Symbolism and Meaning - A Detailed Analysis

This essay explores the hidden meanings and symbolism within various historical portraits, including the Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, the portrait of Abd al-Wahid, and the depiction of four citizens' wives. The analysis reveals how these images were strategically designed to convey messages of power, diplomacy, social values, and historical context. The Armada portrait emphasizes Queen Elizabeth's strength and dominion, while the portrait of Abd al-Wahid highlights the alliance between England and Morocco. The depiction of the four citizens' wives reflects the recognition of women's roles and rights in society. The essay concludes that these portraits serve as valuable historical records, offering insights into the past and providing guidance for the present, with correctly interpreted information helping to shape and improve society.

Running head: History Assignment 1
History Assignment
Name of the Student
Name of the institution

History Assignment 2
Art and images have been recorded in history to pass hidden information and message to
humankind over the centuries. Portraits were made to pass the message of love and affection,
war, conflict, defeat, retreat and in most cases educate the intended recipient about certain
cultures. Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth 1 is attributed to George Gower in 1588 and it was
painted on the panel made of oak. It was named Armada Portrait since it commemorates the
greatest sea battle when the British army defeated their enemy, Spanish Armada whose main
agenda was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth1. This essay main intent is to paraphrase and echo the
hidden details that are hidden in the images in the different portraits used in the history. The
main concern will be Armada portrait of Queen Elizabeth portrait, Portrait of Abd al-Wahid
(1601), Lord Mayor, alderman, and liveryman of London (late 16th century and Four citizens’
wives (1574).
To begin with, the Armada portrait of Elizabeth 1 is packed with symbols and was
strategically designed to express power, majesty, and strength. The poster consists of the pearls
that are seen all over Elizabeth clothes and hair2. Pearls were symbolically used to express the
female virginity and purity during the era of the Renaissance. Pearls were also used in history to
symbolize Cynthia, the goddess of the moon, who was believed to be a virgin, uncompromised
and pure. Elizabeth’s right hand rest on the globe, with her fingers pointing at the New World.
This symbolism implies her power over the world3. The skirt and her sleeves consist of golden
suns. The sun is an artistic symbol of power, life and enlighten. She is in between storms and
1 Hibbert, C. (1992).
The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius of the Golden Age. Scholastic.
2 James, S. (2017).
The feminine dynamic in English art, 1485-1603: women as consumers,
patrons and painters. Routledge.
3 King, J. N. (1990). Queen Elizabeth I: Representations of the Virgin Queen.
Renaissance
Quarterly,
43(1), 30-74.

History Assignment 3
calm scene strategically suggesting that she is the power and mighty. The source of the clear
weather is seen on the left. The red object in the shape of an egg over Elizabeth's shoulder also
carries important information. Egg in history is associated with fruitfulness, resurgence and
everlasting life and is an undisputed sign of prosperity, luck and well-being. Armada portrait, in
general, expresses mighty and power associated with England. The globe as highlighted earlier
shows mighty over the world and in particular over the America, Europe and British colonies in
Africa continent.
Secondly, the portrait of Abd al- Wahid (1601), just like Elizabeth’s portrait carries
important message hidden on in between the painting. This poster was painted in an expression
of honor and gratitude for the Abd al Wahid who was Moroccan ambassador to the Queen
Elizabeth court4. The union between the England and Morocco establishes the trade between the
two countries and it is the one that led to the defeat of the Spanish Armada5. The painting itself
symbolizes power over collaboration in the time of threats. Both parties express difference
interest in collaboration with Queen Elizabeth side requesting a payment of 100,000 pounds for
the supply of the fleet, with Abd al Wahid requesting the Ship to be sent to collect the money6.
The painting expresses clearly the will of submission from both parties leading to a great success
in the defeat of the Spanish Armada.
4 Seddon, M. S. (2017). This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World.
5 Hibbert, C. (1992).
The Virgin Queen: Elizabeth I, Genius of the Golden Age. Scholastic.
6 Matar, N. (2008). Queen Elizabeth, I through Moroccan Eyes.
Journal of Early Modern History,12(1), 55-76.

History Assignment 4
Finally, four citizens’ wives (1574) portrait is a perfect example of how images can
express information in a unique way beyond the usual decoration. The women in the portrait
symbolize the mothers, daughters, sister, and female. It was used in history to depict the need for
the recognition of women in the country7. The rights of women are well expressed in the portrait.
Four women are seen in the portrait dressed well in a manner that indicate that it was in a winter
season. The clothing symbolizes the need for women protection from any external threats like
the cold. All women have ornaments and rings on their necks8. This symbolizes wealth and
riches depicting the value of women in the society. The dressing also portrays differences in
professionals from the four women. The woman on the right is seen holding a hen and having a
mouth mask. This means that she might be in the hotel or food processing industry9. Man's cap
on her head can mean that she can also perform some of the tasks that belong to men. In general,
this portrait carries a wealth of information ranging from human rights, work, and submission.
In conclusion, when art of images is used well, it can pass important information and
message from one generation to another over the centuries10. History is kept by words and
images. This keeps the past arrive with us and from this point the past and the present are
connected by common factors. This essay has indicated clearly that there are a lot of information
beyond the images that are seen in the portraits. Information when interpreted correctly from the
7 Groebner, V. (1999). Inside Out: Clothes, Dissimulation, and the Arts of Accounting in the
Autobiography of Matthäus Schwarz, 1496-1574.
Representations, 100-121.
8 Woodall, J. (Ed.). (1997).
Portraiture: Facing the subject. Manchester University Press.
9 Andersson, E. I. (2011). Women’s Dress in Sixteenth-Century Sweden.
Costume,
45(1), 24-38.
10 Walling, W. (2017).
American labor and American democracy. Routledge.

History Assignment 5
images can help in shaping and improving the society by acting like a reference or a checklist for
guidance.
Bibliographies and sources
Casale, S. A. (2018). Iconography of the Gift: Diplomacy and Imperial Self-Fashioning at the
Ottoman Court. The Art Bulletin, 100(1), 97-123.
Doran, S. (2018). Did Elizabeth’s Gender Really Matter?. In Queens Matter in Early Modern
Studies (pp. 31-52). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Guo, K., Pratt, D., MacDonald III, A., & Schrater, P. (2018, January). Labeling Images by
Interpretation from Natural Viewing. In IUI Workshops.
Hackett, H. (2018). Anne Boleyn’s legacy to Elizabeth I: Neoclassicism and the iconography of
Protestant Queenship. In Queens Matter in Early Modern Studies (pp. 157-180). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham.
Martin, J. (2014). Intellectual portraits: politics, professions and identity in twentieth-century
England. History of Education, 43(6), 740-767.
Seddon, M. S. (2017). This Orient Isle: Elizabethan England and the Islamic World.
Tara Hamling, ‘Visual and Material Culture’ in Laura Sangha and Jonathan Willis (eds.),
Understanding Early Modern Sources (2016).
Town, E. (2015). “A Fête at Bermondsey”: An English Landscape by Marcus Gheeraerts the
Elder. The Burlington Magazine, 157, 309-17.