The Phoenix and the Pelican: two portraits of Elizabeth I

Small temporary exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery bringing together 2 portraits of Elizabeth I, The Phoenix portrait from the gallery’s own collection and the Pelican from the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.

This was a rare chance to see these works together. The gallery had studied them closely while they were there and decided that they are by the same artist who was probably Nicholas Hilliard. I loved comparing the jewellery and think the collar is the same in both pictures and also appeared on other pictures around them. It had different pearls hanging from it but was the same basic collar.

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