A Life In art: Queen Elizabeth II

We are deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Our most heartfelt condolences are with the Royal Family. A symbol of stability, dedication and hope, she will remain globally revered and widely beloved.

Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II was an unwavering figure in contemporary culture for nearly a century. The longest reigning monarch lived through, and was at the centre of, countless era defining moments. Ascending to the throne in 1952 at just 27, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was the first ever to be televised, viewed by over 200 million people worldwide.  

As one of the most photographed and painted subjects in history, portraying the Queen presented a unique challenge for artists. As we remember Queen Elizabeth II (1926 – 2022), we take a look back at some of the iconic portraits of Her Royal Highness. From Warhol to Freud, familial matriarch to emblem of a nation, see how pre-eminent visual artists of the 20^th and 21^st centuries captured her likeness in their own distinct ways.  

Andy Warhol, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, from Reigning Queens (1985)

Created in 1985, this portrait of HRH by Andy Warhol comes from his largest portfolio of screenprints, entitled ‘Reigning Queens’ for which he created sixteen prints of four ruling Queens, in four different colourways. Using media photographs as his source material and with his signature colour block style, the work gives the illusion of a collage. Created at the height of the 1980s, this Pop Art depiction of the Queen places HRH at the heart of popular culture.

Cecil Beaton, Queen Elizabeth II, Coronation Day (1953)

Taken on her Coronation Day in 1953, photographer Cecil Beaton captured the sense of grandeur and circumstance that accompanies Royal celebrations. Dressed in an elaborately bejewelled gown, the young Queen is shown seated, holding the sceptre in one hand and the orb in the other. The ornate fan vault ceiling of Westminster Abbey can be seen in the background, but despite the splendour of the setting, Beaton captures the humility of the young Queen as she begins to embark upon her life as a ruler.  

Lucian Freud, Queen Elizabeth II (2001)

One of the more controversial portraits of the Queen comes from renowned 20^th century painter Lucian Freud, and is just 23.5 cm tall by 15.2 cm wide (apparently Freud had intended the piece to be even smaller and had to expand the canvas when he decided to include the Queen’s tiara). Capturing only her head and shoulders, Freud’s portrait is distinctively in keeping with his style – but was not favoured by Queen Elizabeth II.

Chris Levine, Queen Elizabeth II, no. 35, from Equanimity 2022 (2022)

This iconic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was captured during one of two sittings with artist Chris Levine, for what would become her first holographic portrait, Equanimity. Commissioned in 2004, Equanimity used moving cameras to map a three-dimensional portrait of the queen, comprising over 10,000 images. Re-released by Levine in 2022 the Equanimity 2022 series reproduces the original portrait in 70 new colourways and captures the Queen in technicolour.

You can find prints by Chris Levine available with Affordable Art Fair regulars, Jealous Gallery 

Annie Leibovitz, The Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2007 (2007)

The first American photographer to create an official portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, Annie Leibovitz’s photographs of Her Majesty are dramatic and theatrical. Commissioned by the Royal Household to celebrate the Queen’s State Visit to the United States, Leibovitz makes use of modern techniques to capture the splendour of the Buckingham Palace Gardens.  

Agent X, One Queen (white), £325, London Contemporary Art

And now time for a Royal Portrait from our AffordableArt.com. This digital print by artist Agent X plays with the Queen’s iconic silhouette, with a block-filled decorative floral pattern. Rather than depicting her features, the artist reinvents the Queen’s immediately recognisable profile resulting in a portrait that feels both familiar and quotidian yet ornate, and shows the timeless inspiration of the Queen’s portrait. 

You can find more artworks inspired by the Royal legacy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (1926 – 2022) in our Queen’s Collection on AffordableArt.com.

All images subject to copyright.