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Painted by an as yet unidentified artist working in England, this portrait is a testament to the conspicuous consumption which characterises portraiture from the Elizabethan age.

Whilst both the artist and sitter remain unknown, the inscription in the upper right corner indicates that this sitter was 20 years old when this portrait was painted in August 1575.

Intricate brushwork highlights the sitter’s finely embroidered dress and elaborate lace ruff. The sitter’s sleeves and shoulders have been slashed and decorated with ‘pulled out’ or ‘tuffed’ white fabric, possibly sarsenet. The resulting contrast of black and white seen here was immensely fashionable during the Elizabethan period. Symbolising constancy and purity, black and white were colours particularly favoured by the Queen. Black was also the most expensive dye and often featured in Elizabethan portraiture as a statement of wealth and affluence. The shadowless style in which this sitter’s face is presented was also favoured by the Queen. Whilst her pale complexion is notable, the artist has highlighted her slightly rouged cheeks, instilling the subject with a sense of humanity and warmth.

A further attestation to the sitter’s prosperity is the jewels worn around her neck, decorated with pearls in groups of three, echoed in the sitter’s fine headdress. At this date, pearls were also a recognisable sign of purity and innocence.