Unknown Maker, Anglo

This aristocratic young woman is believed to be a member of the Hampden family of Buckinghamshire, England. Posed before an enclosed garden-a traditional indication of virginity-she is presented as a maiden anticipating marital happiness. The portrait is both daring and aspirational: loose hair would not have been worn in public, and a low-cut bodice was only appropriate for court dress. Her lavishly embroidered, pearl-encrusted gown resembles costumes worn in elaborate entertainments that were performed for Queen Elizabeth I and her successor, James I.

Although the artist has not been firmly identified, this theatrically staged style of portraiture was practiced by Robert Peake, John de Critz, and Marcus Geeraerts, the younger-all of whom were closely associated with the English court.