We are grateful to Edward Town, Assistant Curator of Paintings and Sculpture at Yale Center for British Art, for his assistance when writing this catalogue note.

Few surviving Elizabethan portraits on this scale display such a dazzling level of opulence as the present work. We do not know the identity of the sitter, but a closer examination of her costume confirms that she was an exceedingly wealthy member of the upper echelons of Elizabethan society.

One of the key signifiers of the sitter’s status is the ermine shawl worn over her shoulders. Ermine was symbolic of purity and was reserved only for royalty and high nobility, so we can assume our sitter was a duchess or countess. The plethora of gold that adorns her bodice corresponds to her high rank; chains interlinked with pearls shimmer against a gold-embroidered black dress. At her neck, the sitter proudly displays an intricate jewel made of diamonds, rubies, and pearls – perhaps a gift from the queen or a treasured family heirloom. The sitter’s head is framed by an impressive lace-edged ruff which would have been expensive to acquire and equally costly to maintain – a fact certainly not lost on the average Elizabethan viewer. A large white ostrich feather is the final flourish and is shown fastened to a tall, cushioned hat decorated with gold jewels. Glancing out at the viewer, the sitter exudes an aura of self-assurance and poise.

Stylistically, this work bears a striking resemblance to the hand of George Gower, one of the most successful court painters of the Elizabethan age. The drawing of the eyes, in particular, corresponds with other recorded works by his hand, and likewise, the manner in which the ruff is painted is also highly reminiscent of his style. There were, however, numerous portrait painters working in London at this date – many of whom remain unidentified – and that this work is by one such painter or workshop cannot be discounted.