Portrait of an Unknown Lady 1629

Editor: This is Cornelius Johnson's "Portrait of an Unknown Lady," currently at the Tate. I'm really drawn to the way he's rendered the lace collar – it looks so delicate. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Consider the material circumstances that allow for such displays of finery. The lace itself speaks volumes about trade networks, skilled labor, and the conspicuous consumption of the elite. How might the production of these goods be relevant to understanding the portrait? Editor: So you're saying the portrait isn't just about the lady, but about the economic system that allowed her to be portrayed this way? Curator: Precisely. It's about the conditions of its making, the social and economic structures embedded within the materials themselves. Editor: That gives me a lot to think about – it’s a different way to read a portrait. Curator: Indeed. We must not forget the labor and materials that converge to create what we see.