Hello Everyone,
I have a somewhat unusual question. I am supposed to give a presentation on 'Contemporary Elisabethan Images', meaning images of Elisabeth today, in a university seminar on Elisabethan England.
Currently, I am still lacking ideas and information :).
I intend to talk about the BBC Tudor films, maybe about coins (but this was already mentioned in another presentation) and I would realy like some more ideas. Where and in what contexts is Elizabeth's image used today? Also concepts, ideas, etc. of the Elisabethan Age that are still relevant today could be of interest. Is her image used in any advertisements that you know?
Thanks for any suggestions/ideas/links in advance!
Regards, Fanny
6 comments:
Can't think of any modern images outside of entertainment.
Maybe that absence says something, and you could frame your presentation in the negative?
I wondered why the present queen is called Elizabeth - seems it has nothing to do with her predecessor, because she took her name from a close relative.
But then why did she christen her son Charles? Must have been thinking of that era.
Hi Fanny
If you Google bombardier beer and click on images you will find 2 adverts that they did a couple of years ago 1 with Elizabeth and the other with Henry depicted on it I am sure they did one with Shakespeare but couldn't see it
Also Google elizabethen costume not only will you find 2 models at Chelsea flower show but Lady Gaga in her red costume and ruff. Some of the pictures have been changed with heads of celebrities or cats and dogs
this year the TKmax comic relif tea shirts had Elizabeth on them
hope this helps
Alexander McQueen did a show a couple years ago (2008-09?) that copied several famous regal portraits. The line was in white tulle with lots of scarlet red velvet. There was one dress that was a riff on an Elizabethan dress.
There was a purse on Zappos a couple years ago (sorry I can't remember the name of the designer) that had a picture of Elizabeth on it, silk screened I think, from the Armada or ermine portrait.
Of course there are the Elizabeth movies with Cate Blanchett.
You could also explore Shakespearean references in use today that originally referred to Elizabeth and her court.
If you look at May 2010 on the Tudor History Blog on this site you will read of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster School unveiling a new statue of Elizabeth I by Matthew Spender. Gloriana must be turning in her grave! I left a comment from a newspaper about the Duke of Edinburgh's reaction. Lots of pictures of the event on Google images.
(The present Queen is called Elizabeth after her mother. When she was born it was not expected she would become the monarch, as her father was the second son of George V and Queen Mary. She was named Elizabeth, Alexandra after her great grandmother, the wife of Edward VII, Mary after her grandmother. It was only at the abdication of her uncle King Edward VIII in 1936 that she became heir to the throne.)
On the fashion angle, the recently disgraced John Galliano did quite a bit of tudor influenced stuff before McQueen. He says it was influenced by the idea of frost fairs on the Thames:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/review/F2008MEN-JNGALLNO
And just for a laugh, here's the pissed Galliano doing a Hitler rant:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3436757/Film-of-John-Gallianos-racist-rant-in-bar.html
Wow, thanks everyone for the great ideas! I will definitely explore some of them for the presentation.
If you are interested, I am also going to talk about Elizabeth, as she is portrayed in several movies and popular novels.
You can find them here:
http://www.elizabethi.org/uk/books/novels.htm
There is an interesting article here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/20587442/A-Queen-for-Whose-Time-Elizabeth-I-as-Icon-For
This Wiki-page was very helpful:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_Elizabeth_I_of_England
Our professor also indicated that all performances at the Globe Theatre are a modern interpretation of how we view the Elizabethan period today (although this might be debatable).
There is also a song by The Zombies called Elizabeth I (you can find it on youtube) that talks about her life.
In terms of fashion, there is quite a wealth of material after some intense research:
Vivienne Westwood:
http://fashionbombdaily.com/2010/12/05/kanye-west-in-vivienne-westwood-elizabeth-1-t-shirt/
André Deveraux:
http://andredeveaux.com/tag/elizabethan-fashion/
Gareth Pugh:
http://yupsterism.blogspot.com/2008/09/gareth-pugh-spring-summer-2009.html
Ebay is also useful in finding a range of memorabilia (just search for "Elizabeth I teapot", "Elizabeth I coin", "Elizabeth I doll", etc.).
After I panicked at the beginning, I found quite a lot of material and I don't think I will need to give a negative presentation at all :).
I hope this collection of materials will be usefull to someone else, too!
Thanks everyone, for the contributions!
Fanny
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