Portrait of an Unknown Lady c. 1565 - 1568

Editor: Here we have a "Portrait of an Unknown Lady" by Hans Eworth. The medium is oil on panel, and it's part of the Tate's collection. I find her gaze so direct. What do you see when you look at this painting? Curator: She's a puzzle, isn't she? All that intricate detail—the sleeves like glittering jewels, the heraldry…but who was she? I imagine her stories, locked away in the past. The artist gives her such agency, but also a sense of quiet mystery. Does that resonate with you? Editor: Yes, absolutely. It’s like she’s daring you to guess her secrets. I wonder about the heraldry on the left! Curator: Precisely. It’s a coded message, a key to her identity, perhaps. Yet it also serves as a beautiful abstract design, floating ethereally. Editor: I’m so intrigued by the layers here, both literal and metaphorical. Curator: Exactly! It’s a reminder that portraits are never just about appearances, but about constructing an image, a story. It’s a conversation across centuries.