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| http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/20.151.6 |
This painting is entitled "Walter Devereux (1539-1576), First Earl of Essex" and was painted using oil on wood by a British painter in 1572. The size of the painting is 41 1/8 inches by 31 1/2 inches. Walter Devereux was named the Earl of Essex in 1572, the same year this painting was done. That same year, he was also installed as a Knight of the Garter. The identity of the painter is unknown as there is not enough evidence to come to a sure conclusion. The painting is British in origin and was done while Elizabeth I was in power.
Walter Devereux is the main subject of the painting, as the portrait was done to commemorate his rise in power. There is also a crest for the Knights of the Garter seen in the upper left hand corner with an inscription meaning "Shame on him who thinks evil". In the upper right hand corner there are more inscriptions meaning "Envy is the companion of virtue". A knight's helmet can be seen in the bottom right hand corner as well.
The first thing I noticed about this painting was the amount of gold in it. The painter uses gold to write inscriptions as well as to draw complicated designs on Devereux's armor. When I first saw the image, I already knew the man was of importance because of the enormous amounts of gold. The fact that the detailing is so intricate also brought my attention as I knew someone of lesser status would not have such a detailed painting, if any painting. Devereux's legs are not included in the painting, which I believe is important to note as it puts the entire focus onto Devereux's upper body. Now, Devereux's upper body is covered in armor, which means that the artist meant to draw attention to the armor all along. This makes sense because, as I stated before, this painting was meant to celebrate Devereux's new position in the Knights of the Garter.
Status was very important in the 1500's as the nobility had all of the power. At the time of this painting, Walter Devereux had just been installed as a Knight of the Garter, as well as the Earl of Essex, meaning that he just rose significantly in status. He gained the title of Knight because of his faithfulness to Elizabeth I. This shows the sheer power of the nobility because Devereux was given a title for being loyal to a royal. Devereux's new power can be seen in his posture, as it is very straight with a hand on a helmet. Te painter did this in order to show Devereux's power. If the helmet and armor aren't enough to show the purpose of the painting, the sign of the Knights of the Garter does. The appearance of the crest makes it known that this man is in favoritism of the Queen and is, therefore, someone that should be listened to.
P.S. I actually did try really hard on my sketch and I'm honestly a little proud of it, so please enjoy!
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/20.151.6
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/33284?=&imgno=0&tabname=label
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/?period=08®ion=euwb#/Key-Events
