Elizabeth Holte

Painted in 1635, I guess as a companion piece to the portrait of her husband Edward, and also by Cornelis Janssens van  Ceulen. Elizabeth is pictured in a sober black satin bodice with just a tiny strip of her white smock peeping out above the neckline and a black lace scarf or sash draped across her right shoulder. Her hair is dressed but uncovered and she is staring straight out of the picture with the same gaze as her husband. Picture is in the collection of the Birmingham Museums Trust

Elizabeth Holte (c.1605–after 1670)

3 Comments to “Elizabeth Holte”

  1. Reblogged this on hocuspocus13 and commented:
    jinxx ♠ xoxo

  2. Interesting that she chose to show so much cleavage during this era.

    • It’s not unusual for upper class women in the 1640s. There are several portraits from the period showing ample cleavage, though probably just as many where it’s covered up with a linen kerchief.

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