Dimensions: support: 2057 x 1270 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Here we have "Portrait of Anne Wortley, Later Lady Morton," from the British School of the 17th century. The folds of her dress are overwhelming. It seems to me that the artist was trying to show the sitter's wealth and status through her clothing, but I wonder, was there a person beneath all this finery? What’s your interpretation? Curator: Oh, absolutely. It's like the dress is a character in itself, isn’t it? I see a fascinating tension here. It feels like the artist is grappling with how to balance societal expectations with the individual. It's a dance between surface and depth, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Definitely! It is interesting to consider how the dress, though beautiful, almost obscures the subject. Curator: Exactly! It makes you think about the power of presentation, and what we choose to reveal, or conceal, about ourselves. Food for thought, isn't it?
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/british-school-17th-century-portrait-of-anne-wortley-later-lady-morton-t03033
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Anne Wortley, the sitter in this portrait, was the sister-in-law of Sir Henry Lee, cousin of his namesake, the Queen’s Champion. It was displayed at the Lee family residence of Ditchley house, Oxfordshire. The composition typifies the British Jacobean ‘curtains and carpet’ portrait formula. The subject appears full length and almost facing the viewer, flanked by lustrously painted curtains, though here standing on rush matting rather than an on a rich carpet. The artist is unknown, but it may have been produced by painters collaborating in a workshop. Gallery label, July 2024
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