Sir Thomas was a physician who practiced in Norwich and a published author. His text Religio Medici was well respected and a bestseller. Dorothy came from a Norfolk family and bore eleven children, six of whom survived to adulthood. She is wearing a white or possibly pale blue bodice, low cut to show the fine linen and lace edges of her smock. Her coif is also lace edged. Sir Thomas is wearing a smart black doublet and plain collar with a subtle set of strings to hold it together. They were painted by Joan Carlile sometime during the 1640s and the image is © National Portrait Gallery, London
The 1640s Picturebook 