Image Gallery
Elizabeth I Ermine Portrait
The c. 1585 CE 'Ermine Portrait' attributed to William Segar of Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603 CE). This painting takes its name from the ermine climbing the queen's left arm which was a symbol of purity and royalty (the animal even wears a crown as a collar to make the message doubly clear). She is holding an olive branch which symbolizes peace. The queen wears black - both the dress and her pearls - which symbolized constancy. She has a gold sword near at hand, perhaps the sword of state and so representing justice.
Hatfield House. Hertfordshire, England.
License & Copyright
Based on Wikipedia content that has been reviewed, edited, and republished.
Original image by William Segar. Uploaded by Mark Cartwright, published on 22 May 2020. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Public Domain. This item is in the public domain, and can be used, copied, and modified without any restrictions. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.
