Now back in print, this comprehensive collection of essays by Simon Adams brings to life the most enigmatic of Elizabethans--Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Adams, famous for the unique depth and breadth of his research, has gathered here his most important essays looking at the Elizabethan Court, and the adventures and legacy of the Earl. Together with his edition of Leicester's accounts and his reconstruction of Leicester's papers, Adams has published much upon on Leicester's influence and activities. His work has reshaped our knowledge of Elizabeth and her Court, Parliament, and such subjects of recent debate as the power of the nobility and the noble affinity, the politics of faction and the role of patronage. Sixteen essays are found in this collection, organized into three groups: the Court, Leicester and his affinity, and Leicester and the regions. This volume will be essential reading for academics and students interested in the Elizabethan Court and in early modern British politics more generally. -- .
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
1570 Venetian Noble Women at Age 18 by Giovanni Antonio Fasolo ca. 1595 Catherine Killigrew by ? (Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service Lady Catherine wears ‘high’ Elizabethan dress wi…
Artist: British Painter (ca. 1600). Date: ca. 1600. Medium: Oil on wood. Dimensions: 44 1/2 x 34 3/4 in. (113 x 88.3 cm). Classification: Paintings. Credit ...
Women and vanity have always gone hand in hand whatever culture, country or time of history it might have been. Archaeologists have found makeup on buried women, beauty tools in their graves and even beauty
Portraits of the 16th Century, what are they saying? Reference: British School 16th century1500–1599 Model: A Young Lady Aged 21, Possibly Helena Snakenborg, Later Marchioness of Northampton Date: 1569 Collection Tate Acquisition: Presented by the Friends of the Tate Gallery 1961 The Marchioness of Northampton, this portrait painting, reflects royalty and wealth of the young Marchioness. She was born in Sweden, she was known for her red hair and being a close friend of Elizabeth I. You can see so much detail in this portrait, firstly behind her left ear you see a fresh carnation which symbolises betrothal, where it shows she is engaged and ready to be wedded. She was honored very much and a reliable young lady. Secondly you can see oak leaves, which these symbolize her dependability and faithfulness. She wears two gold chains, a pricey pendant in the form of a female figure which is holding a table-cut blue stone; you can also see over her left side, placed on her heart is either a pendant or a brooch which is in the shape of an oak leave studded with either pearls or stones, which is looped through a purple ribbon. On her puffy sleeves you see embroided red roses and on her cap there are jewels in shape of roses. The elements of these objects and accessories reflect her faithfulness to the Tudors, with the use of roses, she is important and powerful. Pearls, gold and stones were only seen on wealthy, powerful people as these were luxury items and only wealthy people could afford such things. I like the fact she has the oak shaped brooch placed on her heart, this represents her passion and dedication; you can see she is proud and a powerful young women with her strong sitted position and good posture, it shows her confidence and flair and also importance as a Marchioness. Reference: https://www.kingandmcgaw.com/prints/hans-holbein-the-younger/portrait-of-thomas-howard-third-duke-of-norfolk-1473-1553-c-1520-214796#214796::media:6_size:171,300 Information: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/404439/thomas-howard-third-duke-of-norfolk-1473-1554 Information: https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/404439/thomas-howard-third-duke-of-norfolk-1473-1554 Portrait/model: Thomas Howard the Duke of Norfolk Date: 1473- 1553 Art print by Hans Holbein the younger Thomas Howard the Duke of Norfolk Thomas Howard the Duke of Norfolk the third, was a powerful noble in his country, he was uncle to Henry VIII’s Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard second and fifth wives, he was also made a Knight of the Garter in April 1510 and lord high admiral in 1513. He was imprisoned for treason along with his son who was executed and he was sent to 6 years in prison. In the portrait, he is richly dressed with the use of his clothing, which reflects power, the huge padded gown with gold trim and the lynx fur trim collar, any use of animal fur is expensive and shows royalty also the gown where only rich men would wear. His clothes are very elaborate and you can see his pride and his importance of looking powerful within his facial expression. The rich wore fine wool and the poor would wear coarse wool, only the rich could afford embroided their clothes with silk gold or silver thread. They liked to show this with their clothes and accessories, he wears red silk jerkin underneath, the colour of red was important during this era it represented the Tudor rose colour, it also brings out the nobles skin colour, he isn’t as pale compared to people as time goes on. He also wears a chunky gold chain across his gown with a pendant in the centre, which I believe is the order of garter, which represents the most noble which is the highest order of chivalry. He is holding his gold baton of earl marshal with pride, all of this reflects his position and hierarchy. He has a painting in the background of the picture, it looks like himself with people following him with horses, a lot of powerful people would get portraits done of themselves, and place them on the walls. He is standing on a fine cotton rug with use of embroidery, a lot of red, black and gold is used and looks like a lot of time went into the fine detail, he likes to show the audience of what he has and can afford. The use of a lot of expensive accessories was usual within royalty and wealthy people. Hats were always worn by Tudors and tights, he is wearing gold slipper like shoes, which were often made of rich cotton or silk. The most expensive dye were red and poor people would wear brown, yellow or blue. He is standing proud with the use of open body language this reflects his power. Reference: The History of England Volume II Tudors by Peter Ackroyd Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's first wife. Page 151 Chapter 13 Artist unknown, unknown year. Katherine of Aragon Katherine of Aragon was Henry VIII's first but unhappy wife and this quote reflects this, meaning she is true but hopefully people will know how badly mistreated she has been. Reference of quote: http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/catherine-of-aragon/ ‘In this world I will confess myself to be the king’s true wife, and in the next they will know how unreasonably I am afflicted.’ Katharine of Aragon, 1532 Katherine in this portrait is clearly decorated in pearls or stones, they look precious and there are a lot of them on her clothes and head wear. She is wearing a great use of red velvet or satin, her clothes look expensive, only rich women could afford such fabrics to wear. She has black embroidery on her sleeves, which is usually flower design, espescially on women. Around her square neck line, she has 5 pearls per design sectioned along it, I feel this representing the Tudor rose as it is also made of five parts and they look like pearl shaped roses. Either side of these pearl designed roses are precious gems which are rubies, this truly showed her status. In a lot of Tudor portraits, gold chains are used and gowns are fastened with lace, buttons in the shape of roses, hearts, acorns and lovers knots. Poorer Tudors would still wear jewellery but made from metal, wood or bone. You would be able to see the differences between different statuses. She as head wear on which was very popular for women to wear as a wealthy Tudor, it was either called a English hood or a Gable hood, because its pointed shape like a gable house, a house which is elaborate and highly detailed, it was sewn with pearls or gold. She has the veil hanging from her hood which her hair is in, it was structured tightly around her face in order to not move freely. The forehead is shown and her hair is not seen, the entire head wear became more complex and is jeweled and embroided, the way it was designed is still a mystery. Katherine's natural hair was very long, so therefore a more material was needed. She is wearing make-up to maker her skin white her cheeks slightly red along with her lips, you can see the contrast with the colours in the portrait. She is holding a flower in her hands, which is white and red, unsure of the type but flowers would represent protection of life and health. Overall Katherine was one of the most beautiful women in Tudor times and this portrait reflects her wealth and power.
I'm so pleased to announce that this coming summer, I will be playing Mistress Laeticia Knollys (Lettice or Letty to her friends) at the New York Renaissance Faire! Letty was a fascinating woman: 1st cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth, she came to court at the beginning of Elizabeth's reign as a Maid of Honour while her father had a seat on the privy council. Strikingly physically similar to the Tudor queen with a pale complexion and red-gold hair, Lettice was thought to be a possible bastard grand-daughter of Henry VIII with his mistress, Mary Boleyn. Lettice was known for being quick-witted, fashionable, somewhat morally lax and very flirtatious. The Faire takes place in 1560, when Lettice was either 16 or 20 years old (historians disagree on her date of birth) and unmarried, living with the other Maids of Honour in attendance on her Majesty. She became notorious later in life for her rumored scandals and ostentatious lifestyle and was banished from court when she married Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester and Elizabeth I's lifetime friend, companion, and rumoured paramour. Although the two fierce red-headed women had gotten along well in their youths and Lettice had been a "favourite," they never repaired the rift and remained distant long after Dudley's death; Elizabeth once referred to Lettice as a "she-wolf". By all accounts Dudley adored his wife, and was known to be very devoted to her and treasure her council. Although Lettice never returned to court, her son Robert Deveraux (Earl of Essex) eventually became a favourite of the aging Queen, though he hardly deserved the honour and was executed for treason after launching a failed coup and attempting to "rescue" her Majesty from the pernicious influence of her councilors and seize the crown. Lettice outlived all three of her husbands, her two daughters, her sons, and the Queen, eventually dying on Christmas morning, 1634 at the impressive age of either 91 or 95. In compliance with her wishes, she was buried next to Robert Dudley and they rest together at the Collegiate Church of St. Mary in Warwick near Kenilworth Castle, where they had lived together. How to play a notoriously stylish and alluring court lady in her younger years? I'm thinking a big fancy gown is in order. Cartridge pleats! Since we all know that Beauty is Pain, I decided to use a historically accurate technique and hand-sew the pleats into my skirt. This involved very carefully marking my fabric after inserting a layer of baby flannel under the fold, then putting in two rows of running stitches. That's 24 feet of hand stitching! But every moment is worth it when you pull up those gathering threads and see the lovely, rounded, fan-like result. This is also how Elizabethan ruffs were made. I marked the edged, center, and half-way points with safety pins before gathering the pleats to ensure that they would go evenly onto the waistband. Here are the pleats pinned to the waistband; each one had to be individually hand-sewn to the band at top and bottom, which took at least 4 hours. My fingers were very sore from forcing the needle though the baby flannel and tightly-woven cotton sateen. My mannequin doesn't wear the bodice particularly well because she lacks the necessary squishy bits. Although the mannequin is actually smaller than me, the bodice appears too tight to close. Everything looks classier with hems. I love how the cotton looks in low-light; it really brings out the teal / green tones. Finally, I put the gown on for the first time! It's still far from complete, but now you can clearly see the overall shape and proportion. Feeling like a princess! Or, more accurately, a Countess-to-be.
Thomas Butler, 10th Earl of Ormonde was born in 1531 in what is now the Republic of Ireland. He was the son of James Butler, the 9th earl and Joan Fitzgerald,
Eleonora di Toledo (1545) Prag Narodni Galerie high resolution image
Art.com | We Are Art We exist so you can have the art you love. Art.com gives you easy access to incredible art images and top-notch craftsmanship. High-Quality Framed Art Prints Our high-end framed wall art is printed on premium paper using non-toxic, archival inks that protect against UV light to resist fading. Experience unmatched quality and style as you choose from a wide range of designs to enhance your room décor. Professionally Crafted Framed Wall Art Attention to detail is at the heart of our process, as we exclusively use 100% solid wood frames that include 4-ply white core matboard and durable, frame-grade clear acrylic for clarity, long-lasting protection of the artwork and unrivaled quality. With a thoughtfully selected frame and mat combination, this piece is designed to complement your art and create a visually appealing display. Easy-to-Hang & Ready-to-Display Artwork Each framed art piece comes with hanging hardware affixed to the back of the frame, allowing for easy and convenient installation. Ready to display right out of the box. Handcrafted in the USA. Travel Art Art is the best way of seeing the world when travel isn’t possible. Explore our curation of travel art for a trip around the globe. See from tourist favorites landmarks–the Eiffel tower– to hidden gems like the breathtaking landscapes of Yosemite National Park. Whether you find a cozy reminder of home, your dream destinations, or even cool maps of the world, our handcrafted frames will give it the perfect finishing touch. The Print This giclée print delivers a vivid image with maximum color accuracy and exceptional resolution. The standard for museums and galleries around the world, giclée is a printing process where millions of ink droplets are “sprayed” onto high-quality paper. With the great degree of detail and smooth transitions of color gradients, giclée prints appear much more realistic than other reproduction prints. The high-quality paper (235 gsm) is acid free with a smooth surface. Paper Type: Giclee Print Finished Size: 12" x 18" Arrives by Thu, Jun 6 Product ID: 56593465197A
Modern photography inspired in Ana de Mendoza, Princess of Eboli, a spanish noble from the XVI century that, despite lacking the vision of one eye, was considered one of the most beautiful ladies in...
We all know how to make a corset, right? Take a bodice pattern that’s too small, sew a lot of boning channels in it, a
Comenzamos en este mes de abril, mes de cambio de estación –primavera en el Hemisferio Norte, otoño en el Hemisferio Sur-, una serie atractiva para todos aquellos que gustan de la moda y el estilo. Hurgaremos en los armarios de las royals célebres, reinas y princesas desde el siglo XVI al XXI y hasta una invitada especial sin sangre azul, pero la que más se aproxima al concepto de realeza para Norteamérica: la mítica Jackie O. Isabel I de Inglaterra, a menudo conocida como La Reina Virgen, Gloriana o La Buena Reina Bess, fue reina de Inglaterra e Irlanda desde el 17 de noviembre de 1558 hasta el día de su muerte, el 24 de marzo de 1603. Isabel fue la quinta y última monarca de la dinastía Tudor. Hija de Enrique VIII, nació como princesa, pero su madre, Ana Bolena, fue ejecutada cuando ella tenía tres años, con lo que Isabel fue declarada hija ilegítima. Sin embargo, tras la muerte de sus medio hermanos Eduardo VI y María I, Isabel asumió el trono. Isabel con vestiduras de coronación: el manto de tela de oro está sembrado con las rosas Tudor y forrado de armiño La reina Isabel tenía una extraña habilidad para usar cualquier situación para su beneficio político y su imagen no fue una excepción. Era muy consciente de su apariencia personal y sabía que sus actos y su imagen juntos formaban su identidad, lo cual en conjunto se convertiría en un símbolo para la empresa completa de Inglaterra. Su imagen estaba cuidadosamente trabajada para impresionar y transmitir riqueza, autoridad y poder, tanto en su tierra como en el extranjero. A medida que su reinado avanzaba, también debía vestirse para la parte de diosa virginal en que se había convertido y transmitir confianza para el crecimiento de la nación. Su guardarropa estaba lleno de vestidos de rica fabricación adornados con joyas y elaborados detalles, lo cual era francamente imponente y hablaba enormemente acerca de su riqueza y su estatus. 1560: Isabel usa la “bolsa” de su capucha francesa sobre la frente como un bongrace o sombra. El vasto vestuario de Isabel I es legendario: en su propia época algunos de los vestidos ricamente bordados eran mostrados con otros tesoros para deslumbrar a los visitantes extranjeros de la Torre de Londres. La cantidad de ropa registrada en los inventarios tomados en el año 1600 parece sugerir pura vanidad, pero una encuesta de la labor llevada a cabo en Wardrobe of Robes durante todo el reinado muestra una imagen diferente. Es una cuidada organización y economía. 1563 La auto-elaboración de la imagen de la reina implicó, literalmente, el uso de la "moda". Ella vestía para ser vista; sus ricas vestiduras y joyas hacían una declaración acerca de su poder como gobernante femenino y sobre la estabilidad y la fuerza de su nación. Su impacto era notado especialmente por los visitantes extranjeros en la corte. Los alemanes hablaban de su "túnica roja entretejida con hilos de oro" y su vestido "de satén blanco puro, bordado en oro". Un francés reportó sobre "una cadena de rubíes y perlas alrededor de su cuello" y sus brazaletes de perlas, "seis o siete filas de ellos." 1570 Isabel también exigía un sentido del estilo a todos aquellos que la rodeaban y sus cortesanos gastaban grandes sumas de dinero en su vestuario con el fin de atraer la atención de la soberana e impresionarla. El vestido era un medio de mostrar la jerarquía social e Isabel creía que la vestimenta debía adecuarse, pero no exceder, el rango de una persona. Era así que la reina debía vestir de manera más magnífica que todos los demás. A nadie se le permitía competir con la apariencia de la soberana y una dama de honor desafortunada fue reprendida por usar un vestido que era demasiado suntuoso para ella. Las camareras estaban destinadas a complementar la apariencia de la reina, no a eclipsarla. Isabel de blanco En los últimos años del reinado, las damas de la reina llevaban vestidos de colores lisos, como blanco o plateado. La reina, en cambio, tenía los vestidos de todos los colores, pero blanco y negro fueron sus colores favoritos, ya que simbolizaban la virginidad y la pureza, por lo que más a menudo llevaba un vestido de esos colores. Los vestidos de la reina estaban magníficamente bordados a mano con todo tipo de hilos de colores y decorados con diamantes, rubíes, zafiros y todo tipo de joyas. Isabel de blanco y negro La apariencia de Isabel hacía hincapié en su rango como jefe de Estado y de la Iglesia y el uso de vestidos ricos, pieles de marta, bordados de oro o perlas y todo tipo de oropeles estaba marcado por restricciones legales. Las llamadas “Leyes Suntuarias” habían sido publicadas originalmente por Enrique VIII y continuaron bajo Isabel I hasta 1600. Fueron promulgadas para imponer el orden y la obediencia a la Corona y para permitir la evaluación del status de un vistazo. 1575 Al igual que todas las mujeres aristocráticas isabelinas, la reina normalmente usaría una camisa, un corsé rígido con madera o hierro, una enagua, un guardainfante, medias, una toga, mangas y gorgueras en cuello y muñeca. Con el descubrimiento del almidón, las gorgueras se hicieron aún más elaboradas. Para completar su apariencia, la reina llevaría accesorios tales como un abanico, un pomo para evitar malos olores, aretes, un collar de diamantes o perlas, un broche y un reloj. Robert Dudley le regaló un reloj encastrado en un brazalete, el primer reloj de pulsera conocido en Inglaterra. Al igual que otras mujeres, ella también solía llevar un Libro de Plegarias en miniatura adjunto a su cinturón. Para el aire libre, Isabel usaba ricas capas de terciopelo, guantes de tela o cuero y, en un clima cálido, protegía su pálido rostro del sol con sombreros de todas clases. Para cabalgar o cazar se ponía trajes de montar especiales que le dieran facilitad de movimientos y botas hasta la rodilla. 1580 Como el amor de Isabel por la ropa y la joyería se convirtió en conocimiento público, se incrementaron los regalos que recibía en Año Nuevo en este sentido. Por ejemplo, el 1º de enero de 1587, la reina recibió más de 80 piezas de joyería, incluso magníficas joyas de parte de sus muchos pretendientes. Del inventario compilado por Mrs. Blanche Parry, en su retiro en 1587 como dama de cámara de Isabel, sabemos que la reina tenía en ese momento 628 piezas de joyería. 1583 Esta entrega de regalos ayudó con los gastos de mantenimiento de su espléndido vestuario, al igual que la práctica de alterar prendas con nuevas mangas, corpiños o collares para actualizarlos. Poco del vestuario total de Isabel ha sobrevivido: vestidos y accesorios fueron reciclados, reutilizados, dados como regalos o usados como pago a las damas de su servicio. Sin embargo, cuentas detalladas del Guardarropa Real fueron mantenidas, detallando el tipo, la cantidad y los costos de la tela comprada, los proveedores utilizados y el tipo de prenda producida. A su muerte, más de 2000 trajes se registraron en guardarropa de Isabel. Estas cuentas y retratos de la época han proporcionado gran parte de la información disponible hoy sobre el vestuario isabelino. 1585 Como la mujer más poderosa de la nación, el gusto de Isabel establecía el ‘look’ del momento, sobre todo para la aristocracia. Este estilo se desarrolló a lo largo de su reinado, desde las elegantes y sobrias líneas de moda en su juventud hasta las cinturas estrechas, mangas hinchadas, gran engolado y amplio vuelo de faldas de sus últimos años. La influencia de Isabel se extendió más allá de la ropa femenina. En su reinado temprano, la moda masculina era muy similar a la que había sido bajo su padre y su hermano, favoreciendo una silueta ancha y cuadrada con capas de ropa hechas de ricas telas. Como el vestuario de Isabel se convirtió en más opulento y elaborado, con una silueta más y más exagerada, pasó lo mismo con sus cortesanos. Los hombres usaban corsés para tener una cintura ceñida y rellenaban los dobletes, lo que les hacía un vientre en punta, como un guisante en una vaina. 1587: las vestiduras de terciopelo rojo y el manto forrado de armiño constituyen el atuendo del Parlamento. El ideal isabelino de la belleza era el pelo rubio, la tez pálida, ojos brillantes y labios rojos. Isabel era alta y llamativa, con la piel pálida y cabello rojo-dorado. Ella exageraba estas características, especialmente cuando envejecía, y otras mujeres trataban de emularla. Un cutis de alabastro simbolizaba riqueza y nobleza (indicando que uno no tenía que trabajar bajo el sol) y las mujeres se esforzaban mucho para lograr este look. La base blanca más popular, llamada albayalde, era hecha de plomo blanco y vinagre. Eran utilizados brebajes para blanquear las pecas y tratar manchas con ingredientes que incluían azufre, trementina y mercurio. Estos ingredientes tóxicos se hicieron sentir con el uso, dejando la piel “gris y arrugada”, como señaló un comentarista contemporáneo. Para combatir esto, la piel era glaseada con clara de huevo cruda para producir una superficie lisa y dura como el mármol. Venas falsas eran pintadas con frecuencia sobre la piel para resaltar su “transparencia” y el bermellón (sulfuro de mercurio) era la opción más popular para colorear de rojo los labios. Altas y estrechas cejas arqueadas y una alta línea capilar requería mucho punteo y los ojos se iluminaban con gotas de jugo de belladona y delineaban con kohl (antimonio en polvo). 1588 La reina nunca estaba completamente vestida sin su maquillaje. En los primeros años de su vida usaba poco, pero después de su ataque de viruela en 1562, se pondría bastante para ocultar las cicatrices en su rostro. Seguía la moda: se pintaba la cara con albayalde, se ponía bermellón en los labios y cubría sus mejillas con colorante rojo y clara de huevo. Este maquillaje era muy malo para su salud, en particular el blanco de plomo, que lentamente envenenaba el cuerpo. 1589 El cabello rizado y rojo de Isabel presentaba otro desafío, con muchas recetas de tintura y blanqueo aportadas por mujeres que trataban de obtener el mismo look. Las pelucas rojas se convirtieron en la alternativa popular, que Isabel también tuvo que usar. Cuando Isabel envejeció, su legendario gusto por los dulces le tendió una trampa, provocando que sus dientes decayeran hacia las caries. Mientras que los isabelinos trataban de cuidar sus dientes y sabían que para mantenerlos limpios había que mantenerlos sanos, no tenían cuidado dental muy sofisticado y los dientes se pudrían. Como consecuencia de ello, Isabel tuvo que eliminar varios dientes a medida que fue madurando y para prevenir la aparición de las mejillas hundidas, metía trapos en su boca. Su influencia en aquel momento era tan omnipresente que algunas mujeres incluso fueron tan lejos hasta ensombrecer sus dientes para imitar su apariencia!. 1590 1592 1592 1600
Portrait of Margaret Laton probably by Marcus Gheeraerts (the Younger), Britain, ca.1620
Wardyns (wardens) are a type of pear and were used often in medieval and Elizabethan times. From what I gather from reading a lot, the original wardyns are either a variety that has been lost or has just been renamed. Some sources say it is the name of any long-keeping pear that is good for cooking. I have a reference that this receipt is found in the Harliean manuscript, a 15th century book on cooking. I haven't found the specific receipt yet but have made this enough times to know it without the book. pears -- you want a variety that holds up under cooking red wine honey pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cloves (You can see the two types of pears; I ended up just using the ones on the right because they were ripe and the others weren't ripe enough. I also used Grains of Paradise for the pepper.) If you are serving a small number, then slice the pears in half. Remove the core and stem. If you are serving many, slice the pears into large, bite-sized pieces. For these pieces, you may wish to remove the skin, too. Flavor the red wine with honey and spices. Add pears and simmer gently until tender. The pears right after they were put into the wine mixture Pears after they simmered for awhile Serve warm or cool. Notes: You don't need measurements here because they depend on how sweet the pears are, how the wine tastes (sweet or dry?), and how you like the spices. I love ginger with this dish and cinnamon is good, too. And how much honey do you like? You can use sugar instead but I think honey adds some depth to the flavor. So put in what you think is right, stir like mad, then taste the wine syrup. Do you like it? Keep in mind that the spices should be stronger than you want because the flavor will soften a bit with cooking and the pears don't soak up their flavor that much. But the sweetness level should be comfortable to your tongue. Then you have to consider how long to cook this. If your pears are very ripe, as these were, and quickly get mushy when cooked, then cook them over a very low heat so the pears have time to soak up the wine and flavorings before they get soft. If the pears are firm you can cook them at a higher heat but really you don't want to if you can avoid it. The longer the pear slices sit in the warm wine syrup, the more flavor they absorb. Here's what they looked like after they had cooked long enough that I was afraid they would turn to mush if I let them cook any longer: You can see that the wine soaked in just a little way into the pear. This will still taste good but I like it better when the red has gone much deeper into the pear slice. If you make them in advance, you can store them in the wine syrup and they will absorb more of the flavor. People love these warm or cool, especially if some of the spices stick to the outside, as happened here. Once when I had dinner in a restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I was eating a salad when the most wonderful flavor burst into my mouth. I investigated to find that the salad had wine soaked pear slices in it. Wow! It was wonderful! So the next time I made them at home, I saved some, sliced them thinly, and put them into my salad. Yes, it is good! Chilling the pears makes them firm and easy to grab with your fork. I mentioned above that I used Grains of Paradise in place of pepper. They are an unusual spice that I recently acquired and was excited to try. They are not related to pepper but have a peppery kick. They come as a whole spice and then you grind them up to use them. Grains of Paradise, whole Grains of Paradise, ground The websites I reviewed before using them said they tend to lose some of their peppery bite when cooked, so plan accordingly for the recipe. When you are done cooking all the pears you plan on using, don't be too quick to throw out the wine syrup. It will have a lovely flavor from all the ingredients and from the pears, and you can probably find someone who would like to drink it. It is sort of a fruity Hippocras, that sweetened, spiced wine drink that the Romans loved and still showed up in medieval cookbooks 1200 years later. The Verdict: Success! This dish always pleases the crowd and is easy to do. Just make sure your pears are ripe before slicing them!
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Explore Elizabethan England – the life of the queen and her people both rich and poor, developments in science and culture, and the country’s rise in power.
A portrait of Thomas Seymour, Lord High Admiral of England and 1st Baron Sudeley. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain. On this day in Elizabethan history in 1549, Lord High Admiral Thomas Seymour was executed for a variety of reasons, including the attempted kidnapping of his nephew, King Edward VI, and the production of counterfeit money. In all, he was found guilty of 33 counts of treason. Princess Elizabeth was said to have remarked upon receiving news of his death, 'this day died a man of much wit, and very little judgement.' The young Princess had endured a very complicated relationship with her brother's uncle, who had also been her deceased stepmother's last husband. A portrait of Princess Elizabeth from 1546. Attributed to William Scrots. The Royal Collection, Windsor Castle. Picture acquired through Wikimedia Commons. Image public domain. While Princess Elizabeth was living in the household of her stepmother, Katherine Parr, and Thomas Seymour, Thomas began abusing Elizabeth, his ward, by behaving inappropriately with her. It is my opinion, evaluating the sources, that Seymour's attentions were sinister in nature and that he probably molested her. Katherine Parr, although a highly educated and perceptive woman, was conflicted as to how to handle the situation. Torn between her husband and the stepchild she regarded as her own daughter, Katherine began participating in her husband's escapades. Because of Thomas Seymour's actions toward Elizabeth, she was accessed of planning to marry him without her brother Edward VI's consent, and she was put under interrogation at the age of 15. When Elizabeth Tudor was questioned about the longstanding unscrupulous activity of Thomas Seymour, she eventually earned the respect of her interrogator. You can read about her remarkable composure under pressure and the statement she wrote in 1549 addressing the nature of her relationship with Thomas Seymour in here. Princess Elizabeth Tudor's signature, taken from a letter she wrote to Edward Seymour, the Lord Protector, who was Thomas Seymour's brother.
