On the Nineteenth Day of Christmas

On the nineteenth day of Christmas On the Tudor Trail gave to me… the chance to win a copy of The Truth of the Line: The Court of Elizabeth I as seen through the eyes of the artist, Nicholas Hilliard by Melanie V. Taylor!

To be in the running to win this novel, leave a comment after this post.

Conditions of Entry

For your chance to win The Truth of the Line by Melanie V. Taylor, you must be subscribed to On the Tudor Trail’s newsletter (if you are not already, sign up on our homepage where it says ‘Free Enewsletter Subscription’).

Then simply leave a comment after this post between now and 31 December 2018. Don’t forget to leave your name and a contact email. Please note that I have comment moderation activated and need to ‘approve’ comments before they appear. There is no need to submit your comment twice.

This giveaway is open internationally.

One winner will be randomly selected and contacted by email shortly after the competition closes. Please ensure you’ve added natalie@onthetudortrail.com to your address book to avoid missing my email.

Good luck!


Find Out More

Book Blurb

Nicholas Hilliard (1547-1619) was a trusted member of the court and illuminated various charters and legal documents as well as painting portraits.

In the 1580s he portrayed the queen either as Cynthea – Virgin Goddess of the Moon, or as the perpetually young Astrea – Virgin Goddess of the Golden Age. These miniature portraits reinforced the idea that England’s queen was, and would remain unmarried. However, is there more to these portraits of Elizabeth I than propaganda?

This novel tells Hilliard’s own story through some of the portraits he created for his patrons and interprets the symbols and emblems these paintings contain From his first portrait painted in 1572 I explore the great the events that happened between 1572 and 1588 as seen through his eyes.

The title is a quote from Hilliard’s draft treatise of 1598, but is it just a reference to his extraordinary ability to capture his sitter’s likeness or was he a possessor of a royal secret?

About the Author

Having studied the History of Art, Architecture & Design at Kingston University, Surrey (UK), Melanie V. Taylor embarked on a full-time Master of Arts degree in Medieval & Early Modern Studies at the University of Kent where the subject of her dissertation was the life and works of the artist, Levina Teerlinc (1520-1576).

Melanie lives in Surrey with her terrier and lectures on both art history and history. She has taught the following courses in art and medieval history: Art & Architecture in Renaissance 1350-1500; The Exchange of Ideas between Southern & Northern Europe – Giotto & Van Eyck to Michelangelo & Hans Holbein the Younger; The Italian High Renaissance & Mannerism 1500 – 1600; The Stranger Painters of the Tudor Court (stranger is a way of describing foreigners); The Marketing of Monarchy;  Elizabeth I – the Age of Gloriana; The Normans in Europe; The Reconquest of Spain; The Rise of the Venetian Republic; The Albigensian Crusade; France 1450 – 1500; The Golden Age of Dutch Art and How the Impressionists documented the Industrial Revolution. In addition she has given study days on Hans Holbein the Younger, Nicholas Hilliard and the history of the Tudor Miniature. Melanie V. Taylor is frequently asked to give talks to art clubs and various other groups on art and history.

Visit Melanie V. Taylor’s official website.


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Comments

  1. Jessica Pedersen says:

    This sounds absolutely fantastic! Fingers crossed

  2. I love elizabethan era!

  3. Annette Oliver says:

    Love his miniature paintings

  4. Kalene Osborne says:

    Would love the chance to win this! Thank you so much for these opportunities!

  5. Kelly Jones says:

    This could be interesting 🙂

  6. Yes please

  7. I love to read history, especially anything of the Tudor era!
    Thanks for the chance!

  8. Jenn Gillies says:

    Absolutely fascinating to see the other side of things through different perspectives

  9. Lynne Manton says:

    Interesting!

  10. The Elizabethan court is always fascinating

  11. Stephanie Olson says:

    This sounds wonderful, thank you so much for a chance at winning this!!

  12. Deana Sanders says:

    Intriguing!

  13. With so much going on i bet that he has a lot of interesting stories to tell too.

  14. Danielle Dickey says:

    Interesting!!

  15. Agnes Szabo says:

    OMG! I would be so happy to win this! 🙂

  16. Rinalisa Garcia says:

    Extremely interested in this book.

  17. Thank you for this opportunity.

  18. Hilary Bridewell says:

    Thank you for this competition

  19. Jennifer cyrus says:

    Thanks for this chance to enter.

  20. My daughter, an artist, would truly appreciate this book!

  21. Wendy Daemen says:

    Of course I have read about Elizabeth I, but reading her story through someone else’s eyes is even more interesting!

  22. yES!!!!!!

  23. Jayne Christie says:

    Yes please

  24. Sounds great!

  25. This looks interesting.

  26. Looks interesting.

  27. Sounds like a great book!

  28. Thanks for the chance to win!!!!!

  29. Katie Rodriguez says:

    Would love to read this! I love that it is told through the propsective of Nicholas Hilliard! So interesting!

  30. Looks interesting!