Art Appreciation: Henry and Elizabeth - The Tudor Spin Machine

In this turbulent time history was extremely important, made and broken by wars and marriages, by powerful characters like Henry whose very image caused people to quail before it. The use of images was becoming vital now that books could be printed and picture prints could be made and moved with comparative ease around the country and abroad. Loyalties were made by the impact these items had among the people – even if you could not read, there was always someone who could. And now you knew what your monarch looked like!

Bluff King Hal or Monster and Tyrant? Good Queen Bess – Virgin Queen or Gloriana? How were they seen by their own people, and how were their thoughts and actions received at the time? Only the study of the written word and the painted picture lets us know today so that we can make our own judgements too.

Both of these monarchs were immensely conscious of their own impact on both their people and the times they made so much their own.

History needs the images they showed to their people. We will study the paintings and images they have left us to reflect their reigns, thinking always - what do they tell us about the history of the times.