An Unknown Lady

Spanish School. Oil painting on canvas, An Unknown Lady, Spanish School, 17th century. A three-quarter-length portrait of a young woman, half-turned to the left, gazing at the spectator, her right hand on a table and her left hand holding a closed fan by her side. A crimson curtain is draped above, top left of canvas. She wears a richly embroidered dress, with long stomacher and a large, open ruff. The dress fabric has a silver ground with coloured birds, flowers etc. upon it. She wears a small, matching cloak and three rows of pearls, the longest of which hangs below her waist. She has an elaborate, jewelled pin in her hair, and she wears drop-earrings and small bracelets of gold which are seen below the narrow ruffles at her wrist. Previously called Portrait of a Lady, Mary, daughter of William Lord Howard of Naworth (3rd son of 4th Duke of Norfolk), the first wife of Sir Henry Bedingfeld, 'The Cavalier', who died in 1657. White catalogue number 120 lower right. Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk (Accredited Museum)