Queen Elizabeth I and the Divine Painting by Tiago Azevedo

Queen Elizabeth I and the Divine Painting by TiagoAzevedo

 

In this painting done in a pop surrealist style, Her bejeweled red hair and smooth, pale complexion give no clue to her age, nor the scars from smallpox she had suffered at 29. Her upright posture, open arms, and clear gaze all speak of vitality and strength, as does the crown to her right.

 

Elizabeth's lavish dress is, however, replete with meaning. Black and white, in this instance more of a warm grey, were her preferred colors for several reasons. White symbolized purity and virtue, and was expensive to maintain; black spoke of humility, but also authority and power, and required rare dyes. But those colors were also an allusion to Cynthia, the goddess of the moon, black for night, white for the pearl-like moon, the subject of Raleigh's lengthy poem The Oceans Love to Cynthia, which celebrates the Queen as such a deity.

 

Then there are the abundant pearls, visual metaphors for the moon in themselves with which she is draped, also symbolic of her chastity. But pearls are not the only astronomical reference, there are numerous suns to signify power and enlightenment, embroidered in gold. 

Joan of Arc at the Battlefield Painting by Tiago Azevedo

Joan of Arc at the Battlefield Painting by TiagoAzevedo

Joan of Arc is a girl who is a hero of the French state. She was also the commander in chief of the troops. In this painting, she is strongly holding the flag of France expressing a powerful will and determination still maintaining her femininity and sensuality on the battlefield with a pop surreal gaze.

The plot described in the painting occurred in March 1429. One day, the holy virgin came to the dauphin of France and announced that he would become the governor and be crowned before the King of Heaven with one king. This historical event will happen in the city of Reims.

Three months later, the prophecy of the saint was fulfilled, a coronation takes place in the city of Reims. This event proclaimed the state independence of France. The entire population enthusiastically accepted the new king. Unfortunately, the fate of Joan of Arc was tragic, as it was burned at the stake. She was captured and handed over to England. Those recognized her as a heretic. Then followed a public burning at the stake. After a while, the virgin was canonized, canonized, and rehabilitated.

The Assumption of the Virgin Painting by Tiago Azevedo

The Assumption of the Virgin Painting by Tiago Azevedo

The Assumption of the Virgin is characteristic of the tendency towards vivid colors with luminous qualities, The paints and brush strokes are heavily loaded with color to create a high visual impact on the viewer.

The pop surreal composition of the painting is designed to lead the eyes upwards in a pyramid shape, beginning with the red-robed Virgin, to her floating hair, and finally to the red light of God himself at the top.

Painted in bold and highly contrasting colors, the Assumption of the Virgin oil painting depicts the miraculous raising of Mary, mother of Jesus, into heaven. Bidding her farewell on the ground below from where Mary's figure as it's lifted up by angelic clouds. God peers down at Mary from the golden light.