Dimensions: support: 685 x 522 mm frame: 810 x 655 x 60 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is George Gower's portrait of Lady Kytson, painted around 1573. I'm struck by the sheer opulence of her attire. What can you tell me about its historical context? Curator: It's a fascinating example of Elizabethan portraiture, isn't it? Consider the deliberate display of wealth – the intricate lace, the jewels, the very expensive dyes of her gown. How does this image function within the socio-political landscape of the time? Editor: So, the painting is as much about status as it is about the individual? Curator: Precisely. Portraits like this served as powerful statements about family lineage and economic standing, reinforcing existing social hierarchies. It makes you wonder about the commissioning process itself. Editor: That makes me see it in a new light. Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It's always rewarding to consider the power dynamics embedded within these artworks.
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George Gower painted these portraits of Lady Elizabeth and Sir Thomas Kytson in London in 1573. Gower, who was from a family of Yorkshire gentry, was an important portrait painter in the 1570s and 1580s. In 1581 he became Serjeant Painter to Elizabeth I, and supervised decorative painting in the royal palaces. In 1584, Gower and the miniaturist Nicholas Hilliard tried to gain a monopoly to produce Elizabeth I’s portraits. As this painting demonstrates, Gower worked in the linear, shadowless style that the Queen is known to have preferred. Gallery label, July 2024
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