Artwork
Lady in a Fur Wrap
Lady in a Fur Wrap is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Alonso Sánchez Coello. It is held in the collection of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.
About this work
Overview
The canvas portrait, titled Lady in a Fur Wrap, is an oil painting dated to the 1580s and presently displayed at Pollok House in Glasgow. Scholarly consensus attributes the work to the Spanish court painter Alonso Sánchez Coello, who was active during the late Renaissance.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is a woman dressed in a luxurious fur mantle, her dark hair partially concealed by a light‑toned head covering. She rests her right arm across her torso, while her left elbow is bent, a hand adorned with a ring. The identity remains uncertain, with suggestions ranging from the Spanish Infanta Catalina Micaela to Juana de Mendoza, Duchess of Béjar.
Technique & Style
Sánchez Coello employs chiaroscuro, contrasting a deep, shadowy background with illuminated flesh tones to model the figure’s volume. The smooth brushwork and meticulous rendering of textiles reflect the courtly portrait tradition of the Iberian Renaissance.
History & Provenance
Created between 1580 and 1588, the painting entered the collection of the Pollok family in the 19th century before being bequeathed to the National Trust for Scotland. Its attribution to Coello was solidified through comparative analysis with documented works of the artist.
Artist & collection
Artist
Alonso Sánchez Coello (c. 1531 – 8 August 1588) was an Iberian portrait painter of the Spanish and Portuguese Renaissance. He is mainly known for his portrait paintings executed in a style which combines the objectivity…
- Infantin Katharina Michaela von Spanien (Werkstatt)
Bildnis einer Erzherzogin (Erzherzogin Helena oder Barbara?)
Portrait of Isabella d'Este
The Infanta Catalina Micaela
Señora Sabasa Garcia
Portrait of a Woman as Saint Catherine
Queen Mary I of England (1516–1558)
Portrait of Caterina Cornaro
Portrait of a Lady in White
Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Maria de' Medici
Portrait of a Young Woman in Profile