Fotoreproductie van een portret van Jane Shirley door Hans Holbein before 1877

This is a reproduction of a portrait of Jane Shirley, a member of the English gentry, made with an unknown medium by an anonymous artist. It captures the likeness of a woman dressed in the fashion of the 16th century. The original portrait was likely commissioned in England during the Tudor period. The clothing and headdress are visual codes, marking the sitter's social status and adherence to the fashion norms dictated by the English court. This would have been a time of religious and political upheaval under the reign of Henry VIII. The aristocracy and gentry were acutely aware of their positions within the social hierarchy, which art often served to reinforce. Portraits were tools of self-representation and social mobility. Understanding this portrait requires knowing the conventions of Tudor portraiture and researching the history of the sitter and her family. These portraits reflect and reinforce the complex social structures of their time.