Defeat of Spanish Armada (1588). The Spanish Armada was a large fleet of ships sent by Spain in 1588 to invade England and overthrow Queen Elizabeth I. The Armada was ultimately defeated by the English navy, and its failure marked a turning point in the Anglo-Spanish War. One of the most famous representations of the Spanish Armada is the Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, which was painted around 1588. The portrait shows the queen standing on a map of England, with her hand resting on a globe. Behind her, a window opens onto a view of the English navy engaging the Spanish Armada. The portrait is notable for its use of symbolism and its depiction of the queen as a powerful and commanding figure. Another notable representation of the Spanish Armada is the Armada Tapestries, a series of tapestries that were created in the early 17th century to commemorate the English victory. The tapestries depict various scenes from the battle, including the English navy attacking the Spanish fleet and the wreck of the Spanish galleon Girona. The tapestries are notable for their detailed and realistic depiction of the ships and the battle, as well as their use of color and texture. In the 19th century, the Spanish Armada became a popular subject for Romantic painters, who were drawn to its dramatic and heroic qualities. One of the most famous paintings of this period is The Defeat of the Spanish Armada by the French artist Eugène Delacroix. The painting shows the English navy attacking the Spanish fleet, with smoke and flames rising from the ships. The painting is notable for its use of color and movement, as well as its depiction of the battle as a heroic struggle between good and evil. In recent years, the Spanish Armada has continued to be a popular subject for artists and filmmakers. The Armada has been depicted in films such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) and The Spanish Armada (2015), as well as in television documentaries and historical reenactments. These representations often focus on the political and military strategies of the time, as well as the personalities and motivations of the key figures involved. Medina Sidonia was an aristocrat without naval command experience but was made commander by King Philip II. The aim was to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I and her establishment of Protestantism in England, to stop English interference in the Spanish Netherlands and to stop the harm caused by English and Dutch privateering ships that interfered with Spanish interests in the Americas. English ships sailed from Plymouth to attack the Armada and were faster and more manoeuvrable than the larger Spanish Galleons, enabling them to fire on the Armada without loss as it sailed east off the south coast of England. The Armada could have anchored in The Solent between the Isle of Wight and the English mainland and occupied the Isle of Wight, but Medina Sidonia was under orders from King Philip II to meet up with the Duke of Parma's forces in the Netherlands so England could be invaded by Parma's soldiers and other soldiers carried in ships of the Armada. English guns damaged the Armada and a Spanish ship was captured by Sir Francis Drake in the English Channel. The Armada anchored off Calais. While awaiting communications from Duke of Parma, the Armada was scattered by an English fireship night attack and abandoned its rendezvous with Parma's army, that was blockaded in harbour by Dutch flyboats. In the ensuing Battle of Gravelines, the Spanish fleet was further damaged and was in risk of running aground on the Dutch coast when the wind changed. The Armada, driven by southwest winds, withdrew north, with the English fleet harrying it up the east coast of England. On return to Spain round the north of Scotland and south around Ireland, the Armada was disrupted further by storms. Many ships were wrecked on the coasts of Scotland and Ireland and more than a third of the initial 130 ships failed to return. As Martin and Parker explain, Philip II attempted to invade England, but his plans miscarried. This was due to his own mismanagement, including appointing an aristocrat without naval experience as commander of the Armada, unfortunate weather, and the opposition of the English and their Dutch allies including the use of fire-ships sailed into the anchored Armada.