A Lady aged 29 in 1582

Although the identity of this woman is unknown, it is certain that she must have been wealthy. She wears a quantity of fine jewellery, including gold necklaces, rings, gold and enamel bracelets, and an elaborate girdle.Portraits such as this were intended to emphasize the status of the sitter, so the careful depiction of the clothes and the jewellery were as important as the achieving of a likeness. This painting may be a contemporary copy. These were often commissioned, as various members of a family would want their own version of such an impressive image of their relative.