Oil paint on wood
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
Unknown artist, Britain
Portrait a Lady
Presented by Mrs Willingham-Rawnsley 1935
adults
aristocrat
birth to death
clothing and personal items
dress: ceremonial/royal
flower
glove
inscriptions
Latin text
mourning dress
objects
people
phrase
plants and flowers
ring
royalty and social rank
ruff
society
symbols and personifications
transience - flower
woman
work and occupations
<p>The identity of the sitter is not known, although her many rings, her rich necklace and the costly gloves in her left hand show that she is of high rank. The artist's name is also unknown, although the initials 'FD', top right, may provide a clue. An x-ray study has shown that the artist made changes to the lady's dress and hat: in fact two different styles of cap lie beneath the present one. Perhaps a bereavement forced the lady to adopt mourning clothes during the course of the commission. The Latin inscription, possibly later in date, means 'A good character is a woman's fairest ornament'. The flowers in her right hand, held beneath her heart, may symbolise the transience of life.</p><p><em>Gallery label, August 2004</em></p>
painting oil paint wood
22 October 2001 – 13 April 2003
2003-04-13
22 October 2001 – 13 April 2003
2003-04-13
2001-10-22
Tate Britain (London, UK)
http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
2001-10-22
The English Renaissance
Collection based display
Portrait of a Lady
support: 743 × 464 mm
Presented by Mrs Willingham-Rawnsley 1935
<p>The identity of the sitter is not known, although her many rings, her rich necklace and the costly gloves in her left hand show that she is of high rank. The artist's name is also unknown, although the initials 'FD', top right, may provide a clue. An x-ray study has shown that the artist made changes to the lady's dress and hat: in fact two different styles of cap lie beneath the present one. Perhaps a bereavement forced the lady to adopt mourning clothes during the course of the commission. The Latin inscription, possibly later in date, means 'A good character is a woman's fairest ornament'. The flowers in her right hand, held beneath her heart, may symbolise the transience of life.</p>
Display caption
2004-08-18T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
adults aristocrat birth to death clothing and personal items dress: ceremonial/royal flower glove inscriptions Latin text mourning dress objects people phrase plants and flowers ring royalty and social rank ruff society symbols and personifications transience - flower woman work and occupations