Elizabeth of York is a very common follower suggestion, but working on her made me realize why I don’t do more medieval portraits :) It’s very flat and was really difficult to work from - it’s so hard to add depth and dimension where there isn’t any. Contrary to the popular belief that she was a blonde, Elizabeth was likely strawberry blonde or redheaded according to contemporary sources and the tiny peek of her hair we have in this portrait. This of course doesn’t preclude her being a blonde, but from the little info we have, artistic decisions were made! It’s unclear how old she is in the original portrait - I decided to depict her in her mid to late thirties, not long before her death.
Elizabeth was the wife of King Henry VII and the mother to the future King Henry VIII. Their union began the “Tudor” period as we know it. She married Henry in 1486 after his victory at the Battle of Bosworth Field against the other claimant to the throne, Richard III, which marked the end of the Wars of the Roses. The War of the Roses was one of the most tumultuous periods of English history, involving two main warring factions, the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. Both sides were vying for the throne and both sides had legitimate claims. The marriage of Elizabeth of York and Henry VII (of Lancaster), marked a political union that worked as intended - to show that the war was over, and that the two sides had joined. Obviously there is much more nuance to the events, but that is the cliff-notes version. The White Princess is a great show to watch (not necessarily historically accurate, but very entertaining) if you’re interested in learning more about this period of history.
Left Portrait base: Public Domain. Right Portrait base: iStock photo. Created using Photoshop.
