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Portrait of a Young Girl, by unknown artist

Portrait of a Young Girl. Artist unknown. Early 17th century. UK. Portrait of a Young Girl. Artist unknown. Early 17th century. UK. Royal Collection Trust / @ Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, acc. no. RCIN 401363.

'Portrait of a Young Girl' is an early seventeenth century painting, now in the British Royal Collection, depicting a young, aristocratic English girl wearing an embroidered gown and a salmon red coat. The artist is unknown. Based on the garments worn by the girl the painting probably dates to c. 1625-1635.

The girl is wearing a coat over a gown with matching stomacher, sleeves and skirt, each embroidered with a variety of flowers in coloured silk threads. This style of naturalistic embroidery was popular in England in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. It was inspired by various pattern books and botanical publications, such as The Herball, or Generall Historie of Plantes, by John Gerard, first published in 1597.

The embroidery design is deliberately asymmetrical across the stomacher, sleeves and skirts. The double ruff, partlet and sleeve cuffs are decorated with lace, possibly a form of reticella.

The painting is currently housed at Hampton Court Palace.

Royal Collection Trust online catalogue (retrieved 5 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 30 April 2017 10:33
Published in 17th century