An Unknown Woman thumbnail 1
An Unknown Woman thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Portrait Miniatures, Room 90a, The International Music and Art Foundation Gallery

An Unknown Woman

Portrait Miniature
1590-1593 (painted)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Here we can see Hilliard’s close attention to costume and the impact on his miniatures of ever-changing fashions. The lady is unknown, yet she must have been a wealthy woman, judging by her heavy and elaborate jewellery, complete with necklace, chain, earrings, jewels on the front and shoulders of her dress, and a kind of aigrette in her hair. The edges of her starched ruff are also elaborately decorated with red textile ties. In an age when clothes were assumed to be an accurate indicator of status, it was judged essential to wear your wealth, especially when being immortalised in a portrait.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAn Unknown Woman (popular title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on vellum stuck onto a playing card
Brief description
Portrait miniature of an unknown woman, watercolour on vellum, painted by Nicholas Hilliard, 1590-1593.
Physical description
Portrait miniature of a woman, head and shoulders, oval frame with a loop at top; the six of diamonds is printed on reverse of the backing sheet on which the portrait is mounted.
Dimensions
  • Height: 59mm
  • Width: 47mm
Content description
Portrait of a woman, head and shoulders, turned slightly to left and looking to front; the sitter is wearing a black dress adorned with jewels, necklace and a large ruff.
Styles
Credit line
Bequeathed by E. Peter Jones
Object history
Provenance: Mrs Wyndham Cook as Queen Elizabeth; bequeathed by E. Peter Jones 1948.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Here we can see Hilliard’s close attention to costume and the impact on his miniatures of ever-changing fashions. The lady is unknown, yet she must have been a wealthy woman, judging by her heavy and elaborate jewellery, complete with necklace, chain, earrings, jewels on the front and shoulders of her dress, and a kind of aigrette in her hair. The edges of her starched ruff are also elaborately decorated with red textile ties. In an age when clothes were assumed to be an accurate indicator of status, it was judged essential to wear your wealth, especially when being immortalised in a portrait.
Bibliographic references
  • Strong, Roy. Artists of the Tudor Court: the Portrait Miniature Rediscovered 1520-1620.. London: The Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1947, London: HMSO, 1950.
Collection
Accession number
P.9-1947

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdFebruary 21, 2003
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest