The Queen's loyal serpent: 400 years on, a painted-over snake reappears on portrait of Elizabeth I

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 7:42 AM on 05th March 2010

* Comments (57)
* Add to My Stories


As many a courtier fatally found out, it was never a good idea to displease the Virgin Queen.

Which may explain why an artist carried out some serious alterations to his first draft portrait of Elizabeth I back in the 16th century.

Where he had drawn the Queen clutching a serpent, the painter had second thoughts and substituted a much more feminine bunch of roses.
A mysterious image of a coiled snake has appeared in a 16th century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

Revealed once more: The image of a snake has appeared in a 16th century portrait of Queen Elizabeth I. A faint outline of the coils can be seen superimposed on her hand, while the serpent's body, - seen as dark shading - follows the line of the flowers she is holding and also passes beneath her fingers
Queen Elizabeth I
Queen Elizabeth I

What lay beneath: An artist's impression of what the snake may have looked like, left, and an infra-red image of the altered design. A serpent was sometimes used to reflect wisdom but they are also linked to notions of Satan and original sin

The revisions would have remained a mystery had it not been for the ravages of time.

For yesterday, the National Portrait Gallery revealed how the image of the coiled snake had re-appeared.

Deterioration over the centuries has meant the serpent depicted in the Tudor monarch's fingers in the original version has revealed itself once more, with its outline now visible on the surface.

The portrait was created by an unknown artist in the 1580s or early 1590s.

The image has not been on display at the London gallery since 1921 but it will form part of an exhibition titled Concealed and Revealed: The Changing Faces of Elizabeth I, from March 13 to September 26.

A serpent was sometimes used to reflect wisdom, prudence and reasoned judgment, but the scaly creatures are also linked to notions of Satan and original sin.

The gallery suggested the snake's removal may have been due to the ambiguity of the emblem. An artist's impression has been created of what the snake could have looked like, with infra-red technology revealing the changes in the initial design.

A statement from the gallery said: 'The snake is mainly black but has greenish blue scales and was almost certainly painted from imagination.'

The image of the monarch covers a portrait of another woman, whose identity is unknown.

The gallery believes the unfinished portrait was by a different painter, showing how 16th century panels were sometimes recycled by artists.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255466/Mysterious-image-snake-appears-400-year-old-painting-Queen-Elizabeth-I.html#ixzz0hISRiENs

You need to be a member of Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community to add comments!

Join Ashtar Command - Spiritual Community

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • How very appropriate and such an omen...Like Caryna says, I bet David Icke is LOVIN this saying I told ya so.....haha
  • I think David Icke is enjoying this one!
This reply was deleted.

Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives

Latest Activity

Movella left a comment on Comment Wall
"Andromedaner Z, ofcourse we know that you are a nice person my friend, and we also know that you are not into black magic. Remember what I said to you when we last spoke?…You are one of us!😊 There has been a strange energy in the air today which may…"
10 minutes ago
Andromedaner Z left a comment on Comment Wall
"and here is the video on rumble PressForTruth posted Saturday about the bohemian grove gathering this year:
https://rumble.com/v6w37x6-the-cremation-of-care-ritualistic-ceremo..."
1 hour ago
Andromedaner Z left a comment on Comment Wall
"interesting update from Dan Dicks (PressForTruth) on facebook:

"Wow, in my video today (edit: July the 12th) about the Bohemian Grove I talked about the time Alex Jones confronted David Gergen (a political insider who advised four presidents of…"
1 hour ago
Andromedaner Z left a comment on Comment Wall
"it seems to me, you guys don't know me.

I'm a nice guy, really.

ok, curious, yes, and I don't want the system to define for me what is worth to understand and what we're not supposed to know about.

I'm interested in UFO's, questioning the…"
3 hours ago
Andromedaner Z left a comment on Comment Wall
"so, I had my 4 eggs for today. next meal is tomorrow around noon.
I'm trying to eat 4 eggs a day as often as I manage it."
4 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"Randy FC said:
"Thank you and Movella for sharing the stories of how you met your future selves. That is quite amazing and something pretty rare even among contactees. Love ya brother, have a wonderful weekend there."


Drekx reply:
It blew our…"
7 hours ago
Drekx Omega left a comment on Comment Wall
"I was pleasantly surprised to see Lara Trump (Eric's wife) giving such a professional interview of POTUS....She's got talent...
America under Trump, is certainly making great strides...and what a contrast with the odious double act of Obama bin…"
8 hours ago
Justin89636 left a comment on Music for your soul.
"On a roll with the music today :) Love these types of jams. https://youtu.be/oPA0z4W-kcU?si=OhvaK-jMU35rg3cU"
10 hours ago
More…

Next up on the Galactic Blogs are the Centaurians who just like the Andromedans, Pegasians, and Plejaren have great scientists, technicians, and liaisons. Unofficially they are described as the Galactic Federation Of Light's principal diplomatic…

Read more…
Views: 47
Comments: 4

MESSAGE OF AQUARIUS-CHAPTERS V TO IX


CHAPTER V INTERNAL MEDITATIONIn the school of Sufism, we find described the seven degrees of ecstasy by which the mystic attains the perfect state of the soul.Sufism is the school of…
Read more…
Views: 10
Comments: 0