#isabella i of castile

[cesareeborgia]

↳ Historical Ladies Name: Isabella/Isabelle

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Emilio Sala y Francés (Spanish, 1850-1910) Expulsión de los judíos de España (año de 1492), 1889 Museo Nacional del Prado

[periodcostumefantasylover]

The Fountain scenery

[latristereina]

Maribel Martín as Isabella I of Castile in La espada negra (1976)

as requested by @isadomna

[suean34]

On 8 August [1483] outlining her hopes for a ‘good and firm’ peace between Castile and England, and offering to form an alliance to attack Louis XI. Isabella gave an unexpectedly personal view of her motives in an oral message delivered by her ambassador, Jofre de Sasiola, duly recorded by Richard’s secretaries. She had been insulted by Edward IV, who had rejected her offer of marriage ‘and taking to his wiff a wedowe of England’. With Edward dead, Isabella finds herself ‘retournyng to her naturall kinde disposicion’. (Horspool

Why does everyone think this means Isabella has always held a grudge against Edward? Their children are engaged!!! I always thought this was Isabella's intentional humor - she faced Richard, who had usurped the throne of Edward's child.

[realcatalina]

Random saints by Sittow or Catherine of Aragon's parents?

Read further if you wish to know what my theory is.

I first found this photo with mention it is by Sittow and at first I thought it is another portrait of Catherine. But quickly I realised this woman looks older and the features are not exactly the same.

The nose is much narrower. And I started to wonder...we know that Sittow painted at least one portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile.

And she had such nose. I could exclude possibility some of Catherine's sisters looked like this too, but women in that family tended to be very young-looking for really long.

So the age of sitter already is suggesting that it could be based upon Isabella towards end of her life. And it is also odd for depiction of Virgin Mary to depict woman who is not young...it is point in Isabella's favour.

While many claim Sittow painted Isabella in 1485, he was only born in 1468/1469 and didn't even become indipended master until at least 1488. He is first recorded working in Toledo in 1492. So he'd always be only able to depict Isabella over age of 40. And tbh, if this is her..then she looks great for somebody over 40!

But where is this image? It took me while to track down.

It's detail from wings of theThe Passion Altarpiece (Tallinn), its middle part is from c.1515-1520(with some 17th century additions) by different artist.

But I am not so sure how accurate is the dating of the outer wings by Sittow(1518-1525) which are in very different style, and might have originally belong to different altar middle.

If it is indeed 1518-1525 dating, then imo they are posthumous depictions based upon earlier sketches done from life. Sittow reusing those old sketches, using them as inspiration for his later work.

Link to photos only. Left pannel: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-passion-altarpiece-outer-wing-with-the-virgin-mary-and-apostle-james-the-greater-paintings-of-the-outer-side-of-the-wings-by-michel-sittow-and-his-workshop/BwFnRG1v6gRqmQ

Right pannel: https://arthive.com/artists/75951~Michel_Sittow/works/526786~Saint_Adrian_and_Saint_Anthony

As to where they are located?

-Niguliste Museum(housed in former St. Nicholas' Church), which is part of Art Museum of Estonia(which combines collections from 3 other buildings+ this church). Hence in Tallin, Estonia but be aware there is over 3 km distance in between the church and other buildings.

But if anybody could go there and get us some pictures it'd be great (if it is allowed). Currently Niguliste Museum has exhibition about Sittow:

But back to the pannels. The left one depicts Madonna(Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus) and St. James the Great(apostle and patron saint of Spain:

And please note that Tudor rose is combination of red and white rose and not always it was depicted as inner rose white, outer red. Sometimes they were halfed, with inner rose sometiems also switched.

Of course it could be some foreign coat of arms or later alteration.

Right pannel:

Here the coat of arms looks much newer and is probably altered(and if pomegranate turned out to be beneath it, I'd just die...)

The right pannel is depicting two male saints. On right is St Anthony the Great...was father of monasticism(of monastic life)...thus very important saint in christianity...

and on left St. Adrian of Nicomedia(2nd most popular military saint after St. George), and imo that's probably King Ferdinand II of Aragon:

It's not great likeness(brows not arched enough, looks bit slimmer, alla of nose not as defined), but overall it's enough of resemblence to not be able to exclude the possibility.

But if this is indeed done years after Sittow was in Spain...and he is reusing his old sketches of catholic monarchs to create this new religious scene(perhaps initially intended for them too, but never made into finished work before), then it is also possible that sketch done in pencil has partially rubbed off...and thus the differences in face of this male.

I think that if this was done while in Spain, such big differences are not very likely to occur. Not that pencil could not rub off, but I think Sittow would have noticed and cared about getting absolutely righ(to please his patrons) and thus would have corrected it.

Ehm, this kitty is supposed to be a lion:

But you must be wondering, if Isabella indeed had this most vivid golden hair colour I always go on and on about, why does she have red hair here?

Several options to pick from: Pigments going wrong, Isabella's hair possibly turning to more reddish hues towards end of her life, or simply discoloured pinkish varnish which was very oddly applied...and on baby's skin you can see where somebody applied only one layer and where they went with brush for 2nd time.

If entire pannel has this varnish on, then it'd affect the hair, turning it more red. Why would such varnish not be removed? Sometimes money is tight and museums have multiple paintings to care for and those paintings in fairly good condition have to wait longer.

And sometimes it is not possible to remove discoloured varnish without harming the painting beneath.

Also worth of nothing is that Virgin Mary's dress is typically not teal, but vividly blue, the very best most expensive most vivid blue pigments were very often reserved for depicting the Virgin Mary:

Sometimes due to budget cost cheaper substitues were used, and those tend to fade.

Hence imo the colours originally might have been intended to be more like this(yes, I photoshopped it):

(I didn't change damn thing about male figure, just brightened it. But tbh I played with the woman's dress, skin and hair for while.)

I mean if it looked like this now, fans of catholic monarchs would probably be all over it already.

But people overlook these dark slightly pinkish images located all the way in Estonia, even though it is atributed to Sittow himself!

(I don't mean people in Estonia, I mean people who search for Isabella's lost portrait by Sittow and stubbornly stuck to their favourite which is not even by Sittow!)

I honestly thought that people searching for lost portrait of Isabella by Sittow would have by now checked all his work, to see if perhaps she is there somewhere! Just doesn't look teen or young adult.

So I want you to be aware, if you're on quest of finding Isabella by Sittow's in that portrait with emerald necklace that this is imo the face you're looking for :

Possibly with hair bit more golden and skin more fair:

And it doesn't matter she doesn't look 20! She is still very beautiful.

Hence imo, these are Catherine of Aragon's parents, depicted in disguise of saints:

But I think they were likely painted years after Sittow left Spain, and his old sketches of them have been reused to create these pannels. I hope the experts will one day look more into this possibility.

I hope you've enjoyed this, and tell me what you think. Am I onto something or am I chasing shadows?

[marianrevisionist]

Some Spanish authors, however, did credit Mary herself or the couple working together for the restoration of Catholicism. Francisco Garrido de Villena, a caballero of Valencia, wrote that Mary, the “sovereign queen” who was “more than human,” worked “a miracle” in England by restoring the religion that had been “lost to a cursed Lutheran sect.” Bartolomé Carranza, the queen’s confessor, referred to Mary and Philip as the “Catholic Kings who restored the ancient and true religion.” Previously, the title “Catholic Kings” was associated with Isabel of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon, Mary’s grandparents and Philip’s great-grandparents, who had united the two major kingdoms of Spain through their marriage in 1474 and conquered the Muslim Kingdom of Granada in 1492, thereby concluding the centuries-long Reconquista. Carranza made the connection between Isabel-Ferdinand and Mary-Philip explicit in his preface “to the pious reader” by referring to “the Catholic Kings,” meaning Isabel and Ferdinand, on the first page, then referring to “the Catholic Kings,” meaning Mary and Philip, on the next page, but whereas Isabel and Ferdinand had lived before Martin Luther and thus commanded the Bible to be translated into the vernacular, Mary and Philip removed vernacular Bibles in order to restore Catholicism to England, according to Carranza. For Spaniards, the implication of Carranza’s use of the title was that Mary and Philip were supervising a new reconquest, one that was less militarized if no less religiously contentious than the first. Further, his use of the masculine “kings” to refer to both Mary and Philip suggested an equality between them, just as Isabel and Ferdinand had maintained an equilibrium throughout their marriage.

— A Narrative That Was Not Her Own: Mary I as Mediterranean Queen by Darcy Kern, 2022. In Writing Mary I: History, Historiography, and Fiction, edited by Valerie Schutte and Jessica S. Hower

[docpiplup]

Juraría que la conozco de algo...

Isabel (2012-2014), 2×01 Desencuentros II El Ministerio del tiempo (2015-), 1×04 Una negociación a tiempo

[classic-art-favourites]

Columbus Before the Queen by Emanuel Leutze, 1843.

[ms-queen-c]

Isabel I

¿Una mujer reina de Castilla?

A woman queen of Castile?

[asongofstarkandtargaryen]

I just remembered that there is a comic where Robin ( Dick Grayson) and Wonder Woman travel in time to go to Isabella I of Castille's era:

After completing their mission, preventing the time trapper to interfere, Isabella is free to marry Ferdinand:

(The Super Friends issue #18)

[intriguingpeoplebyangelafloyd]

TOMAS DE TORQUEMADA

1420-1498

Spanish friar, mass murderer, who had heretics tortured and burned alive

            Tomás de Torquemada was a Spanish inquisitor and a Dominican friar; he became Spain’s first Inquisitor general in 1483. He met the young Princess Isabella I; they both had a strong religious rapport. He served as her regular confessor and advisor and was at her coronation in 1474, and advised her to marry King Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469. The Spanish Inquisition was a group that was created in 1478, to ‘uphold Catholic religious orthodoxy’ with the lands of Castile and Aragon (Kingdom of Spain).

            Torquemada was a ruthless madman who persecuted heretics and became known for his use of torture and severe punishments. It is said that he had around 2,000 people killed by burning at the stake.  

            Muslims and Jews in Castile and Aragon had to convert to Catholicism for survival. Torquemada was one of the chief supporters of the Alhambra Decree that expelled the Jews from Castile and Aragon in 1492. Around 40,000 Jews were expelled from Spain and the rest converted to Catholicism so they could remain in Spain, who secretly remained Jewish.

            Queen Isabella’s secretary wrote that 2,000 executions took place throughout her reign, which continued after Torquemada died. His health was failing in his final years and Pope Alexander VI appointed four assistants to assist him in the Inquisition. Torquemada retired to the monastery of St. Thomas Aquinas, Avila in 1494 and lived the life of a friar. He died at the monastery in 1498, aged 77, and was interred there. His tomb was ransacked in 1832, his bones were apparently stolen.

#tomasdetorquemada #ferdinandIIofaragon #isabellaIofcastile #atheism #history #truecrime

[lonelyqueenofhearts]

Don't mind me, I'm just thinking about how Joanna I of Castile named three daughters after her sisters and wanted to name her firstborn son after her brother.

[yxxxxxx1]

Thread about Joanna of Castile: Part 1: Her Education

… any woman born with a great gift in the sixteenth century would certainly have gone crazed, shot herself, or ended her days in some lonely cottage outside the village, half witch, half wizard, feared and mocked at. —Virginia Wolf, A Room of One's Own

Diverse thoughts flood one's mind upon hearing the name Juana of Castile, or as some may recognize her: Juana la Loca. Countless historians have debated her story. Was she truly insane? Did she battle with a mental disorder? Or was she tragically victimized by the very men she held dear? In my forthcoming posts, I delve into Juana's life, drawing from historical sources. I will write about Joanna's life based on historical sources in my upcoming posts. Enjoy the readings, everyone.

Juana was born in Toledo on November 6, 1479. She grew into a lively, pretty, and graceful little girl who was to develop into a beautiful woman. Juana had a regal and dignified presence, befitting her royal lineage as a member of the powerful Spanish Habsburg dynasty. She was, the Venetian ambassador would write, “very handsome”. According to other authors, she had auburn hair and a fair complexion. Her nose was long and straight, her blue eyes were large, deep, and soulful, her mouth was an almost perfect cupid's bow, her lips were full, her fingers slim and delicate.

Other sources wrote that she was known for her fair complexion, typical of the European nobility during that era. Her face was oval-shaped, with a high forehead, delicately arched eyebrows, and a well-defined jawline. Juana had large, expressive eyes that were often described as melancholic or sorrowful. They were of a deep colour, commonly portrayed as dark brown or hazel. Her eyes were said to possess a certain intensity, reflecting her emotional state and the turmoil she faced throughout her life.

In terms of attire, Juana would have dressed according to the fashion of her time and status as a queen. She wore elegant gowns made from luxurious fabrics, often adorned with intricate embroidery, jewels, and furs. The style of her clothing would have followed the trends of the Spanish court during the late 15th and early 16th centuries.

When Juana was seven, her parents appointed Andres de Miranda as her first tutor. It was his task to teach her Latin, a language in which she became proficient, and Catholic doctrine—essential skills that Deza also taught to Juan, her brother. She was taught to ride, she was taught music and dancing, she learned how to behave in public. And, just like her mother, Juana learned housewifely tasks like baking, spinning, weaving, and sewing.

Ever mindful of her experiences, the queen was determined to give her girls the best start available, and by the standards of her time, she did. Her daughters were not the only educated noble women among the European aristocracy, but they were certainly better educated than most women of their era. There was one omission, though: the study of foreign languages, surely useful for girls destined to marry foreign princes, was largely neglected.

Sources: Fleming, G. B. (2018). Juana I: Legitimacy and Conflict in Sixteenth-Century Castile (1st ed. 2018 edition). Palgrave Macmillan.

Fox, J. (2012). Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile. Ballantine Books.

Gómez, M. A., Juan-Navarro, S., & Zatlin, P. (2008). Juana of Castile: History and Myth of the Mad Queen. Associated University Presse.

[latristereina]

ISABEL TVE 2x06

[isadomna]

Michelle Jenner and Rodolfo Sancho as Isabel de Castilla and Fernando de Aragon in Isabel