Do we have a true portrait of Catherine of Aragon? What did she really look like?
Catherine of Aragon is an iconic figure in English history. Catherine was the daughter of Spain’s famous Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, and the wife of two princes of England, including the infamous King Henry VIII.
But what did Catherine really look like? Movies and TV shows rarely portray Catherine correctly, plus, the most famous portrait of Catherine may not even be her. So, let’s dive into the research and reveal some re-creations of her appearance.
The Face of King Edward VI
Henry VIII and Jane Seymour’s son, Edward, became the King of England at just 9 years old. Despite being quite young when he died, we have a lot of portraits of the young Edward.
What did Jane Seymour really look like?
Jane Seymour is one of Henry VIII’s most enigmatic wives. We only have one or two portraits of her. Despite being the one to give birth to a son, Henry’s greatest desire, she died not long after the birth. We know very little about her - lost to history are her personal thoughts, motivations, and feelings. What did Jane really look like? How did her contemporaries describe her?
What did Queen Elizabeth I really look like?
What did Elizabeth I really look like? Today we’re going to dive into her portraits and contemporary descriptions to reconstruct the face of Elizabeth Tudor.
There are dozens if not hundreds of images of Queen Elizabeth that you can see today. But they all look just a little different. Which is the most accurate - which reveals the true Elizabeth?
Masters of Florence: The Faces of Lorenzo and Giuliano de Medici
Lorenzo de Medici is also known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano were essentially the catalysts for the Renaissance in Florence, Italy during the late 15th century. They espoused Humanist ideals, valuing peace and culture over military conquests, and injected half a billion dollars into art and culture in the late 1400s. Together, they were the joint rulers of Florence.
Empress Sisi: Her Real Face Brought to Life
Empress Sisi was a woman who felt defined by her beauty. First, when her husband Franz Josef of Austria fell in love with her at first sight, when she was only 16. And then, when she became celebrated by her empire for her beauty. However, the free-spirited Sisi felt deeply trapped by court life, her domineering mother in law, and the gossip that surrounded her because of her quirky personality.
What did Mozart really look like?
The true appearance of Mozart is surprisingly contentious - He’s even been described as the most famous person whose true likeness is the least recognized. All of his portraits look a little different. His family members - as well as historians - have commented on this. His sister Nannerl said that she had “never seen so many portraits of my brother that are so different when seen side by side, but that nevertheless all look like him.”
The Romanovs: Forensic Facial Reconstructions & the Mystery of Skeleton #6
The mystery of what happened to the Romanov family was one of the greatest historical questions of the 20th century. For decades, no one knew the answer to where the Imperial family was located after the Russian Revolution in 1918.
It wasn’t until 1979 that the world finally got some answers. Russian investigators found what they thought might be the final resting place of the family, in the woods outside of Yekaterinburg. Their findings had to remain secret for many years, as Russia was still in the Soviet Union. The bodies were only exhumed and examined in 1991, with the findings finally released to the public.
A New Image of Anne Boleyn? Re-Creations of the Mysterious Image Found Under Portrait of Elizabeth I
This x-ray image of a woman, found hidden underneath a 1580s portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, has fascinated researchers and the public. It’s led many to come to believe that this is a secret image of Elizabeth’s disgraced mother, Anne Boleyn, and that Elizabeth had purposely painted over this image to preserve her mother’s memory. But, is this image really of Anne Boleyn? And if it’s not, who could it be? I’ll reveal a re-creation of this hidden woman, and then we’ll do a little detective work.
What did Hatshepsut look like? With facial re-creations.
Today’s subject is Hatshepsut, a powerful female pharaoh of Ancient Egypt who used effective propaganda to ensure a long and prosperous rule. She ruled 18th dynasty Egypt from c. 1479 – 1458 BCE.
But what did she really look like?
Reviving the faces of ancient Egypt is difficult - Egyptian art served a very different purpose than it does today. While rulers 500 years ago depicted themselves fairly faithfully, to preserve their image for future generations, Egyptian art was not meant to truly represent the figure at all, but rather the power and idea behind the ruler.