#isabella of castile

[periodcostumefantasylover]

Queen Isabella of Castile's golden brown gown in The Fountain

[katharinepar]

3 December 1497: Elizabeth of York, Queen of England, writes a letter to Isabella, Queen of Castile, asking after her future daughter-in-law’s health.

‘Hence it is that, amongst our other cares and cogitations, first and foremost we wish and desire from our heart that we may often and speedily hear of the health and safety of your serenity, and of the health and safety of the aforesaid most illustrious Lady Catherine our common daughter. And if there by anything in our power which would be grateful or pleasant to your majesty, use us and ours as freely as you would have all in common with you. We should have written you the news of our state, and written at length of these things to your majesties. For the rest may your majesty fare most happily according to your wishes.

From our palace of Westminster, 3rd day of December, 1497’.

Complete transcript of Elizabeth’s letter (x).

[catalinadearagonsblog]

Isabel of Castile and Katherine of Aragon in blue

Michelle Jenner in "Isabel"

Charlotte Hope in "The Spanish Princess"

[perioddramapolls]

Period dramas dresses tournament: Pink dresses Round 2- Group D: Lucrezia Borgia, The Borgias (gifset) vs Isabel de Castilla, Isabel

[palaceoftears]

Isabel and Juana of Castile + quote

Happy birthday @latristereina !

Isabel had good cause for being upset. Such was “the disposition of the Princess” as the physicians described it, “that not only should it pain those who see her often and love her greatly, but also anyone at all, even strangers, because she sleeps badly, eats little and at times nothing, and she is very sad and thin. Sometimes she does not wish to talk and appears as though in a trance; her infirmity progresses greatly.” It was customary, they explained, to treat Juana’s infirmity through love, entreaty, or fear; but the princess had proven unreceptive to entreaty, and even “a little force” affected her so adversely that it was a great pity to attempt it and no one wanted to try, so that, beyond the queen’s customary immense labors and concerns, this weight of caring for her daughter fell upon her. It has been conjectured that Isabel’s illness could have been cancer, endocarditis—infection of the heart valve—chronic dropsy, or several of them combined. By the following June she had a visible tumor, although it is not known where or of what sort. In August she took Juana to Segovia, which she had seemingly avoided for years, telling her it was a step toward the north coast and her departure for Flanders. There Isabel continued to try with little success to get her to turn her mind to affairs of state. Juana showed little interest in government and in her child, and a good deal of disregard for religious matters of any sort, and for public opinion as well. The princess appeared to disdain much of what Isabel valued, and even to represent the antithesis of the very qualities her mother valued most highly. Even so, Juana was her designated successor, and Isabel was determined to keep her in Spain and do her best to train her to be its queen. So the arguments against Juana’s departure were patiently repeated: the season, the sea, the French, that Philip should be safe in Ghent before she traveled, and did she not want to see her father before she left? The hope remained that Juana would stay and Charles join her, so that Isabel might have him educated in Spain’s customs and come to prefer its people. And with Juana and Charles there and Philip not, should Isabel die, Fernando, still king of Aragón, could surely manage to guide their daughter in governing Castile. It was November. A treaty with France—arranged by the queen of France, Anne of Brittany, and Margaret of Austria—had been signed, and an envoy arrived from Philip requesting that Juana return to Flanders. Isabel, playing for time, responded that the princess, although better, was not well, that relations with France were still such that it was not safe for her to travel by land or, now that it was winter, by sea, that she had better wait until spring, and that “following her frame of mind and la pasión she has” that Juana should not be where there was no one who could quiet and restrain her for it might be dangerous for her. The implication was that Juana was emotionally out of control. Exactly what was meant by “restrain” we do not know.

-Peggy K. Liss, Isabel the Queen

[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?

[oak1985]

Every couple of years, a student picks Isabella of Castile to do their final papers on and it’s somehow always one of the weaker students and they end up telling me all about how Isabella of Castile made women’s lives better by defying gender stereotypes. And I have to be like, “Is it girlboss to subjugate all Muslims and ethnically cleanse the Jews from Spain?”

😬

[dragonesdelaemperatriz]

[hexgirllovesyou]

Say hi to the new wallpaper for my laptop!

-The quote does not belong to me, I saw it on Instagram and just wanted to create something interesting

credit: @lookbackwithliv -

[isadomna]

Constance of Castile becomes Duchess of Lancaster

Following the death of their father, the daughters of Pedro of Castile and his mistress Maria de Padilla (whom he secretly married prior to Blanche of Bourbon) were kept at Bayonne. With nowhere to go, Princesses Constance and Isabella lived under the protection of the Black Prince, having initially served as collateral for Pedro’s promise of payment. The payment never came, and the Princesses now lived in exile as potential heirs to the throne of Castile. According to Froissart, Sir Guiscard d’Angle approached John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, with the idea of marrying into Castile: ‘My Lord, it is time you should think of remarrying. We know of a very noble match for you, one from which you or your heirs will be Kings of Castile. It will be a charitable deed to comfort and advise damsels who are daughters of a King, especially when in such a pitiable state as those ladies are. Take therefore, the eldest as your bride’.

Constance was in every way an ideal choice of royal bride: she was young, beautiful and devout, and she brought to the marriage the promise of a kingdom. Her tragic plight appealed to John’s sense of chivalry. The Duke of Lancaster sent four knights to bring both princesses to Bordeaux. However, he was impatient to secure the match. Rather than waiting and marrying Constance in a grand court ceremony, he rode out to meet her on the road. On 21 September 1371, thirty-one-year-old Gaunt married seventeen-year-old Constance at Roquefort, near Mont de Marsan, and she became the new Duchess of Lancaster. John’s wedding gift to Constance was a gold cup ‘fashioned in the manner of a double rose with a pedestal and lid, with a white dove on the lid’, while Constance gave him the finest gold cup he ever possessed.

By the time Gaunt relinquished his Lieutenancy in Aquitaine in September, he was eager to return home and introduce his new wife to his family, and to the realm. Around the end of the month he sailed from Bordeaux with Constance and her sister Isabella on a salt ship, requesting the ship’s master remove a cargo of bay salt to make the ship available for their voyage. John was attended by a train of Castilian knights wearing the Lancastrian livery, and Constance by a bevy of Castilian ladies. Having shouldered a significant financial burden in Aquitaine, John of Gaunt had little wealth to spare on the luxury of a fine ship; when they arrived in England, Constance was even forced to pawn some of her belongings. On his way to Westminster, John left Constance at Hertford Castle, close to London, one of his favoured country residences. Then in December, John travelled down to Kingston Lacy in Dorset, where he and his bride kept Christmas, feasting on venison and rabbits.

After three months in England, Constance of Castile made her state entry into London. Her long sojourn in the West Country had perhaps been necessitated by her suffering the discomforts and sickness of early pregnancy. Constance was formally welcomed as Queen of Castile by the Black Prince, who had risen from his sickbed and struggled onto a horse for the occasion. He was accompanied by ‘several lords and knights, the Mayor of London and a great number of the commons, well-dressed and nobly mounted’, who conducted the new Duchess ‘through London in a great and solemn procession. In Cheapside were assembled many gentlemen with their wives and daughters to look at the beauty of the young lady.’ This statement suggests that Constance’s physical charms were already renowned. ‘The procession passed in good order along to the Savoy’, where John of Gaunt was waiting to greet his wife. The Black Prince’s welcome gift to his sister-in-law was a golden brooch or pendant depicting St George, adorned with sapphires, diamonds and pearls, while the King presented her with a golden crown set with diamonds and pearls.

Soon afterwards, Constance took up residence at Hertford Castle, where her three Lancastrian stepchildren -Henry, Philippa and Elizabeth- were sent to join her. John of Gaunt assumed the title of King of Castile and León in right of his wife, and insisted his fellow English nobles henceforth address him as 'my lord of Spain’. He impaled his arms with those of the Spanish kingdom. John set up a Castilian chancery that prepared documents in his name and signed by himself with the Spanish formula 'Yo El Rey’ (”I, the King”). 

In the summer of 1372 Constance gave birth to a baby girl at Hertford Castle. She was named Katherine – or Catalina, as her mother called her, and as she would one day be known in Castile – and styled Katherine d’Espaigne. Gifts of wine were sent to Hertford that summer, and the Duke was there on 7 July, probably to see his new child. The future looked promising for the new couple. Their union, however, was purely political. There is no evidence of any real love or affection between John and his wife, just mutual courtesy and respect.

After her marriage, although she kept regal state, Constance preferred to live in seclusion with her Castilian ladies in the Spanish manner, residing mainly at the Duke’s magnificent castles at Hertford and Tutbury, biding her time until she could return to her native Castile. Constance was rarely at court. Communication with her husband was probably inhibited by the fact that she spoke little English and he only limited Castilian: seventeen years after their marriage, he had difficulty in following an oration in that language. The marriage survived out of ambition and hatred: John of Gaunt’s ambition for the throne of Castile, and Constance’s hatred for her uncle, Enrique of Trastamara, her father's murderer. However, the real thorn in their marriage was John of Gaunt’s continuing love affair with another woman – Katherine Swynford.

Sources:

Alison Weir, KATHERINE SWYNFORD: THE STORY OF JOHN OF GAUNT AND HIS SCANDALOUS DUCHESS

Helen Carr, THE RED PRINCE: THE LIFE OF JOHN OF GAUNT, THE DUKE OF LANCASTER

Images from youtube's video

[mystic-lilac]

Isabella of Castile

[periodcostumefantasylover]

The Fountain scenery

[docpiplup]

The Bastard Kings and their families

This is series of posts are complementary to this historical parallels post from the JON SNOW FORTNIGHT EVENT, and it's purpouse to discover the lives of medieval bastard kings, and the following posts are meant to collect portraits of those kings and their close relatives.

In many cases it's difficult to find contemporary art of their period, so some of the portrayals are subsequent.

1) Henry II of Castile ( 1334 – 1379), son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonor de Guzmán; and his son with Juana Manuel de Villena, John I of Castile (1358 – 1390)

2) His wife, Juana Manuel de Villena (1339 – 1381), daughter of Juan Manuel de Villena and his wife Blanca de la Cerda y Lara; with their daughter, Eleanor of Castile (1363 – 1415/1416)

3) His father, Alfonso XI of Castile (1311 – 1350), son of Ferdinand IV of Castile and his wife Constance of Portugal

4) His mother, Leonor de Guzmán y Ponce de León (1310–1351), daughter of Pedro Núñez de Guzmán and his wife Beatriz Ponce de León

5) His brother, Tello Alfonso of Castile (1337–1370), son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonor de Guzmán

6) His brother, Sancho Alfonso of Castile (1343–1375), son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Leonor de Guzmán

7) Daughters in law:

I. Eleonor of Aragon (20 February 1358 – 13 August 1382), daughter of Peter IV of Aragon and his wife Eleanor of Sicily; John I of Castile's first wife

II. Beatrice of Portugal (1373 – c. 1420) daughter of Ferdinand I of Portugal and his wife Leonor Teles de Meneses; John I of Castile's second wife

Son in law:

III. Charles III of Navarre (1361 –1425), son of Charles II of Navarre and Joan of Valois; Eleanor of Castile's huband

8) His brother, Peter I of Castile (1334 – 1369), son of Alfonso XI of Castile and Mary of Portugal

9) His niece, Isabella of Castile (1355 – 1392), daughter of Peter I of Castile and María de Padilla

10) His niece, Constance of Castile (1354 – 1394), daughter of Peter I of Castile and María de Padilla

[moradometalizado]

Isabel 1x02

[perioddramapolls]

Period dramas dresses tournament: Orange dresses Round 1- Group C: Isabel de Castilla, El ministerio del tiempo (gifset) vs Simonetta Vespucci, Medici: the magnificent (gifset)

Propaganda for Isabel's dress:

Another pic 🧡🧡🧡

[ms-queen-c]

Isabel I

¿Una mujer reina de Castilla?

A woman queen of Castile?