Nicholas Hilliard was never employed full-time by the monarchy, so he was forced to set up his business in the City of London, much like any other craftsman. He thus lived by erratic commissions rather than being supported by the luxury of a steady pension. Many of Hilliard's sitters were none the less from the social class that centred on the court, and this miniature is a rare example of a portrait of a person from the very different world of the city merchants and their families. With her tall black hat, smocked stomacher and apron, this woman is typical of her class. Her dress is enlivened not by elaborate jewellery but by means of naturalistic touches in the form of roses and other flowers tucked into the corners of her dress. From the gold ring, which hangs from a black thread attached to a yellow knot at her breast, it is conceivable that the portrait commemorates her marriage. The Latin inscription, Videtur et Vere est, literally means ‘it seems and truly is’. It could be her family motto, meaning something on the lines of ‘free from deception’, but it could also imply that this portrait is indeed an accurate likeness.