Important figures at court were often portrayed in the flattering guise of mythological figures. Elizabeth I is Paris in this re-telling of the beauty contest ‘The Judgement of Paris’. The original myth saw Venus as victor over her rivals Juno and Minerva. Here, Elizabeth I keeps the prize (an orb instead of an apple) for herself, symbolising her triumph over the illustrious goddesses.

Painted for Elizabeth I (or presented to her by a courtier)