British Universities Film & Video Council

moving image and sound, knowledge and access

Marcus Gheeraerts II: Elizabethan Artist

Synopsis
Marcus Gheeraerts II (1561/2-1636) was one of the great portrait artists of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. A contemporary of William Shakespeare, he painted many of the leading Britons of the time, including Elizabeth I. His ‘Ditchley’ portrait is one of the grandest and most enigmatic depictions of the Virgin Queen, but he also produced haunting and beautiful portraits of leading statesmen and soldiers, and of their wives and children. One of Gheeraerts’ specialities appears to have been the ‘pregnancy portrait’. These paintings of obviously pregnant women may have been celebrations of dynastic continuity, but they may also have been intended to record the features of a beloved wife about to face the sometimes fatal consequences of childbirth.

Produced alongside Tate Britain’s 2003 exhibition devoted to Gheeraerts, this film features an interview with curator Karen Hearn, as well as contributions from Tarnya Cooper, National Portrait Gallery, and Lavinia Wellicome. Gheeraerts’ life and work is explored together with important general questions about the meanings and contexts of late sixteenth and early seventeenth century painting.
Language
English
Country
Great Britain
Year of release
2011
Year of production
2003
Subjects
Art; History
Keywords
art - British; history of art; Elizabeth I, Queen of England; Gheeraerts II, Marcus (1561-1636)

Distribution Formats

Type
DVD
Format
Region 0 PAL
Price
£14.99
Availability
Sale
Duration/Size
35 minutes
Year
2011

Distributor

Name

Illuminations

Email
louise@illuminationsmedia.co.uk
Web
http://www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone
020 7288 8400
Address
Studio 121, ScreenWorks
22 Highbury Grove
London
N5 2EF
Notes
Illuminations produces and distributes programmes on arts-related subjects, some of which are made for television and others in conjunction with cultural institutions to accompany specific exhibitions. Many titles are available for sale on DVD, including continuing series on leading contemporary and twentieth century artists and modern architecture, as well as a few programmes on religion, drama, history and ideas.

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