Right, so I could’ve sworn I saw this painting in the National Portrait Gallery — or one very like it, a painting of Queen Elizabeth I in a dress covered in eyes and ears. Naturally, I thought, “Well this is basically supernatural CCTV, isn’t it?” Turns out, the painting I thought I saw was probably a different one, but let’s just say my memory’s got a flair for drama, and thank God for that, because it led me to the Rainbow Portrait, which is in Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, where I expect hurricanes hardly ever happen. But that’s not the point , please don’t get distracted now... the point is, it’s the most amazing painting.
Painted around 1600 and often attributed to Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (or maybe Isaac Oliver you know how the art world loves a bit of mystery), this portrait is Elizabeth I serving divine surveillance realness. She’s wearing a gown literally embroidered with eyes and ears. Not even subtly she wants you to know she sees everything and hears everything. So don’t even think about skipping Mass or throwing shade at the tavern.
She’s holding a rainbow that says “Non sine sole iris,” which is Latin for “No rainbow without the sun,” or, as I like to interpret it: “No beauty without me.”
Anyway, this glorious painting sparked the idea for one of our prints, Omniscient. We wanted to capture that same slightly unnerving energy. Eyes. Ears. A divine kind of nosiness. The kind of vibe where you’re not just being watched you’re being judged by someone with excellent taste and a wig collection Cher would kill for.
For me, Omniscient isn’t just about channeling regal power it’s a print that says, “I know what you did, and frankly, I support it.”
So yes, inspired by Her Majesty’s bejewelled Big Brother moment, I created a print that peers into your soul, listens to your gossip, and still manages to look great while doing it. Just like the Virgin Queen (no one believes you, Liz... and you can pipe down too, Mary) would’ve wanted.