Sir John Shurley of Isfield (1565–1632) 1588

Editor: Here we have a rather striking portrait, "Sir John Shurley of Isfield (1565–1632)", painted in 1588 by an anonymous artist. Rendered in oil, it’s quite remarkable how the armor almost glows. He looks so young! What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: Oh, the gleam! It's a Renaissance selfie, isn't it? Except instead of a duck-face, we get cold, hard steel. I see ambition, certainly. The crisp white collar peeking out from under all that metal… it's a symbol, a whisper of intellect against brute force. The shield up there to the left looks significant; his family’s claim to fame, perhaps? Editor: It’s quite a statement to be immortalized in armor. I wonder if it’s purely aspirational. Curator: Precisely! Or maybe he genuinely felt like his best self in that clanking getup. It also suggests, doesn't it, a world in flux. That armor represents protection in increasingly dangerous times. Makes me wonder, what were his anxieties? Editor: The contrast between his soft, almost cherubic face, and the armor is striking. What's the purpose of his baton? Curator: The baton acts almost as a counterpoint – another assertion of authority, but one less permanent, less weighty. I suppose it's his way of saying, "I’m not just the armor; there’s a man underneath, with a will to wield.” We can also look at it like this, isn’t the man somehow vulnerable in all this armor? He is both protected and caged, it's wonderful irony! Editor: I hadn’t considered that – a sort of gilded cage of one's own making. Curator: Exactly! The beauty of a painting like this lies in its endless paradoxes. Don't you think? It seems a warrior wants to be noticed; to feel protected; but really only manages to look human. Editor: Yes, that’s fascinating! Thanks for helping me look at this with fresh eyes!