Mrs Jane Small
ca 1536
Hans Holbein the Younger captured the quiet elegance of Jane Small in this exquisite circular miniature around 1536. Notice the golden inscription 'ANNO ETATIS SVAE 23' floating in the deep blue background, telling us she was just 23 years old when painted. She wears a fashionable black velvet dress with intricate blackwork embroidery at the neck and cuffs, delicately holding a sprig of greenery. Holbein was Henry VIII's favorite painter, but he also painted wealthy merchants' wives like Jane with incredible intimacy, making this tiny masterpiece feel like a private conversation across centuries.
Location: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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