From 4th October a mysterious painting of Elizabeth I from the 1580s-1590s will be featured in Leicester’s Gatehouse at Kenilworth Castle. On first look, the painting depicts the former queen as holding a small bunch of roses, but there is more to it than meets the eye.
The painting, which is on a 3 year loan from the National Portrait Gallery, has been part of a research project which, when using the latest x-ray and infra-red scanning, has revealed a number of hidden surprises underneath the top layer. The bunch of roses which was featured on the complete painting was originally painted as a serpent with a curling tail, and the entire canvas was painted on top of another image of an unknown female.
The Hidden Serpent
Although the artist or explanation of the portrait is not known, experts believe they originally painted a serpent as it was sometimes used to represent wisdom, prudence and reasoned judgement. The decision may then have been taken at the last minute to ‘remove this ambiguity’ in the final stages as serpents were also used to represent the devil and original sin.
Another Mystery
A further mystery lies beneath the surface, as the portrait was found to have been painted on top of another painting of an unknown woman. X-rays of the image show the outline of a woman facing the opposite direction and wearing a French hood, which was fashionable in the 1570s and 80s.
The fascinating painting will be on display until September 2014 as part of a larger exhibition exploring the relationship between Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, who owned Kenilworth Castle during her reign.
For more information please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/kenilworth or call 01926 852078
