Answer:
Levina Teerlinc was a Renaissance artist who did miniaturist art and served as a painter to the English court of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I. She is attributed as the author of <em>An Elizabethan Maundy, </em>a miniature painting depicting Queen Elizabeth I attending a Royal Maundy on Maundy Thursday.
Explanation:
Maundy Thursday is the Christian holy day on the Thursday before Easter. It commemorates the Washing of the Feet and Last Supper of Jesus Christ. In England, Royal Maundy is a religious service of the Church of England where the British monarch or roya official distributes money and clothing to the elderly or people in need. In the middle ages, English monarchs washed the feet of beggars imitating the actions of Jesus, and presented gifts and money to the poor. In Teerlinc´s painting, Queen Elizabeth I, who was known for her elaborate Maundy ceremonies, is depicted attending one of them. In the painting, Elizabeth is decentered, to emphasize Christ's humility in washing his disciples´ feet, placed in the lower left corner of the composition. She is dressed relatively modest in blue, with an apron indicating her role of servitude, however she´s not in a position of humility, but standing upright with her hands together. Her train is being carried by one of her ladies, and she's wearing jewels around her neck and in her hair, further demonstrating the distance between her and the poor women she serves. The painting displays Elizabeth´s power and rank even as it celebrates her communion with the poor.
