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ANTIQUE #SA1027188

Portrait Of A Lady In An Elaborate Black Costume With Ruff And Pearls C.1615; Circle Of Robert Peake The Elder (c.1551–1619), Oil On Panel Painting

Status: This item has been sold
Sold by: Titan Fine Art

 
This exquisite, and important, stately portrait is a particularly splendid example of the sumptuous female portraits that were painted for members of the court and gentry during the early part of the 1600’s. Dress was a key component in portraits, and the exuberant attire and extravagance of jewellery in this painting reiterates the incredible wealth of this Jacobean woman. The pearl coronet on her head is in the style typically only worn by a Duchess of the realm, further signifying her elevated status.
 
The satin dress is decorated with myriad of fine white lace and embroidered with gold on the bodice and sleeves. The colour black, the most expensive colour of fabric to dye and to maintain, is juxtaposed against white. This striking combination was a favourite of Elizabeth I and courtiers in homage to the queen, just a few years earlier. There is an abundance of pearls, worn on both wrists, and as a heavy double rope around her neck and linked by a black rosette at her breast. Beneath her lavishly decorated dress is a petticoat called a wheel farthingale, an undergarment that flattened the abdomen and tilted the dress up at the back. The style was brought from Spain—possibly by Catherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII—early in the 1500s and remained popular for over a century. The clothing and jewellery help to date this portrait to circa 1615. The lower waistline was fashionable just prior to 1625, as after this time, a more relaxed style with a higher waistline became popular.
 
The prominent white lawn and lace-edged ‘Elizabethan ruff’ sits above a vertical transparent fabric, perhaps a type of partlet, and through it can be seen the white lace on the bodice. This type of ruff was a great signifier of wealth; they often required up to fifteen metres of fabric and they grew in size and depth up to about the 1630s before a flatter style replaced them. Further indications of the fabulous wealth of this sitter, are the presence of elaborately d...
Antique #SA1027188, shown on this page, originates from the 17th century. For historical context, the timeline below highlights the period when it was made:
←C17th
Famous inventions historic timeline graphic to help to give historical context to the date of this antique.
CONTACT DETAILS OF SELLER:
TITAN FINE ART PROFILE PHOTO WHICH LINKS TO DEALER PAGE
Titan Fine Art
Specialist dealer in portraits from the 17th to the 20th century. All stock is in excellent condition and can be hung & enjoyed immediately.
London
United Kingdom
STATUS
THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD
HISTORIC TIMELINE OPTIONS