December 21: Elizabeth and the Three Goddesses

Today's Tudor treat is a painting called "Elizabeth I and the Three Goddesses". It was painted by Hans Eworth in 1569 and is part of the Royal Collection, being on display at Windsor Castle. The Royal Collection Trust says of the painting, "Important figures at court were often portrayed in the flattering guise of mythological gods. Elizabeth I is Paris in this re-telling of the beauty contest ‘The Judgement of Paris’. The original myth saw Venus as victor over her rivals Juno and Minerva. Here, Elizabeth I keeps the prize (an orb instead of an apple) for herself, symbolising her triumph over the illustrious goddesses."

A contemporary inscription on the painting reads "IVNO POTENS SCEPTRIS ET MENTIS ACVMINE PALLAS / ET ROSEO VENERIS FVLGET IN ORE DECVS / ADFVIT ELIZABETH IVNO PERCVLSA REFVGIT OBSVPVIT PALLAS ERVBVITQ VENVS", which the RCT website translates as: "Pallas was keen of brain, Juno was queen of might, / The rosy face of Venus was in beauty shining bright, / Elizabeth then came, And, overwhelmed, Queen Juno took flight: / Pallas was silenced: Venus blushed for shame".

Eworth has divided the painting in half, depicting the queen in the contemporary world on the left and the goddesses in the classical world on the right.

The RCT also explains how we know it belonged to Elizabeth I herself as in 1600, Baron Waldstein recorded seeing the painting on display at Whitehall Palace.

It's an interesting painting isn't it?

You can find out more about it at https://www.rct.uk/collection/403446/elizabeth-i-and-the-three-goddesses