Elizabethan Art

William Shakespeare lived in the time known as the Elizabethan Era. It was named this because of the rule of Queen Elizabeth I. Art flourished during her reign because she loves art immensely. Her favorite artist was Nicholas Hilliard; he often painted portraits for her. Isaac Oliver was also a popular artist of that time. Most art was done in the form of portraiture and decorative arts; however, architecture was a big form of art in this era as well. Art played an important role of the Elizabethan Era and it has left us with a recollection of history during that time.

The Elizabethan era was during the reign of Queen Elizabeth from 1558-1603. Throughout this period a form of painting had become extremely popular in wealthy and royal families. This art form is known as portraiture. Portraiture is the creation of a portrait of a person. A portrait is a picture that depicts and represents a real person and is created by an artist such as Isaac Oliver and Nicholas Hilliard. In the Elizabethan Era, these portraits were painted on large canvas cloths. These later pieces were highly valued by their owners and were preserved from dust by using protective coverings. If someone could afford a portrait of themselves it showed that they were a member of the upper class. This artwork would show the person it depicted in a flattering way so that the piece could be shown off when company visited during social events. Owners would hope that the visiting company would be jealous of the beauty of their pictured appearance. Artists specifically preformed portraiture by sketching out their model as they posed for them in person. After the basic sketches of the form were created, the artist would later paint and enhance the features of their model (Olsen).

In the Elizabethan Era, painting and portraiture weren’t the only forms of artwork even though portraiture was considered the only “real art”. Sculpting, carving, and other forms of hands on artwork were considered to be crafts. Craftsmen were needed to flourish the upper class housing and royal places in the time period. They were not as respected by rich members of the upper class because they didn’t directly spend time and benefit the rich. Craftsmen created intricate carvings into the wood on buildings like churches and in moldings. You would also see statues outside and about towns that were made by the artisans. Sculpting was also prominent in the grave head business. When those of the upper class passed away, they needed an artist that could decorate their grave head in a way that could positively remember the wealth of the deceased. The amount of money their family could spend to have this done was another way in which the representation of wealth was preserved (Elizabethan England Life).

Isaac Oliver was born in Rouen, France, in 1560. His son, was a famous painter at the time. Isaac Oliver was also was a famous painter during the Elizabethan times. Oliver was classified as a miniature painter, which is miniature portrait painting usually made out of enamel, gouache, or watercolor. Isaac Oliver learned many of his skills and techniques from Nicholas Hilliard, who was also a famous miniature painter during Elizabethan times. After studying under Hilliard, Isaac Oliver went on to create paintings with more of a naturalistic style to them. Oliver’s paintings received a lot of recognition, especially from the royal King James I. In fact, Oliver was even appointed to the personal painter of King James I, which lead him to painting much of the royal family, which included Queen Anne or Denmark and the Prince of Wales. Many of Oliver’s painting are on display in Montagu House, Windsor Castle, Sherborne Castle, and in the British Museum. Isaac Oliver eventually died on October 2, 1617. Causes of his death are still unknown, but he will always be remembered in history as a miniature painter during Elizabethan Times.

Nicholas Hilliard was also a very important artist during Elizabethan times. He was born son of an Exeter goldsmith, and was trained as a jeweler. In 1570, Hilliard was appointed court miniaturist and goldsmith by Queen Elizabeth I, and during that time Hilliard worked for King James, as well. Besides Queen Elizabeth I and King James, Nicholas Hilliard also had Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Philip Sidney “sit for him”. Also his trainee, Isaac Oliver, challenged Hilliard. It is said that these two were head and shoulders above their contemporaries and dominated the limning of their era.” In Hilliard’s “The Arte if Limning,” which was written and published in 1912, he declared himself a follower of Hans Holbien’s manner. Hans Holbien was also a famous painter, but in the century before. Many of Hilliard’s painting were on display in Victoria and Albert Museum. Despite his enormous success, Nicholas Hilliard was greatly in debt, and eventually imprisoned for it in 1617.

Architecture was also a big form of art in the Elizabethan Era. Houses were not only where people lived but they symbolized much more: your social status. There were four main types of homes during this era. They were royal works, great houses, smaller country homes, and farmhouses. The royal works were for kings and queens, and they usually were large and expanded for miles. Many of these houses had chapel, numerous halls, parlors, etc. Also their courtyards were said to “have miles of beautiful vegetation and extraordinary stone gardens and walls (Kamhi).” Doctors and business men, who were considered the upper-class, lived in great homes. Great homes were not as amazing as the royal works, but were still very large and nice. Even though they were not as great as royal works, they still had several dining halls, parlors, and great rooms. Smaller country houses were homes to merchant, craftsmen, and tradesmen. These homes were cozy and small, and usually built by the materials the owner had already had. Finally the most popular group houses were farmhouses, which of course were homes of farmers and their families. These houses were meant for the lower and middle class. They were usually located in the country, and unlike the others were not a symbol of their social status, but rather just a place to live.

A popular form of art in the Elizabethan Era is known as decorative arts. The decorative arts contrast the fine arts; fine arts are only looked at, but decorative arts serve a purpose. Some examples of decorative arts include furniture, glassware, and interior design. The decorative arts are made in many different materials, including wood, glass, textiles, metals, and ceramics. In this era, the decorative arts were mainly silver works. The silver demand had increased at this time because of an increase of population and the expansion of the middle and upper classes. There were silver plates that were embossed with fruits, vegetal forms, grotesque figures, and foliage designs. Suits of armor were embossed with foliage and patterns. The decorative arts were also embroidered. Textiles were embroidered with beautiful threads of silver and gold and many colorful silks. The decorative arts served a purpose, rather than just be looked at.

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