Portrait of an Unknown Woman

Portrait of a Young Lady, by unknown artist. Portrait of a Young Lady, by unknown artist. National Portrait Gallery acc. no. 1119.

A seventeenth century portrait of a Tudor lady after Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) has been variously described as that of Catherine Howard (1521-1542; fifth wife of Henry VIII of England) or possibly of Elizabeth Seymour (1518-1568; sister of Jane Seymour, the second wife of Henry VIII).

The National Portrait Gallery, where the painting is currently housed, simply describes it as a portrait of an unknown woman. The lady in the painting is wearing a dark blue (?) dress with bands (guards) of gold embroidery down the sleeves and possibly at the waist as well. The sleeve cuffs of her chemise are decorated with a scrolling floral design in blackwork. Under her headdress she is wearing a white coif.

National Portrait Gallery online catalogue (retrieved 11 March 2016)

GVE

Last modified on Monday, 15 August 2016 19:49
Published in 17th century
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