Artwork
Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks, died 1558)
Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks, died 1558) is an oil painting. It dates from 1540 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This oil painting depicts Lady Rich, also known as Elizabeth Jenks, who passed away in 1558.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a portrait, the piece functions as a visual record of the sitter's status and identity within early-modern English society.
The painting titled Lady Rich portrays Elizabeth Rich (Elizabeth Jenks), a woman who died in 1558, and is classified as a portrait created circa 1540 in oil on oak panel with gold leaf by the workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger. The work measures approximately 44.5 × 34 cm and belongs to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having entered the collection through Benjamin Altman; it was previously shown in the National Portraits exhibition. As a portrait, the piece functions as a visual record of the sitter's status and identity within early-modern English society.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1540, the portrait of Lady Rich is an oil painting on an oakwood panel, measuring 44.5 by 34 centimeters. The work incorporates gold leaf as a material component, likely used for decorative elements within the composition. Attributed to the Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger, the piece functions as a formal portrait depicting Elizabeth Rich.
The painting is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While specific details regarding the handling of the paint layers or current conservation condition are not detailed in the provided records, the medium and support define its physical character as a mid-16th-century panel painting utilizing traditional oil techniques and gilding.
History & Provenance
Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks, died 1558) is an oil-on-oak portrait dated 1540, attributed to the workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger and depicting Elizabeth Rich. The work incorporates oil paint and gold leaf on an oak support and measures 44.5 by 34 centimeters. Its provenance begins with Sir Herbert Croft, 1st Baronet, followed by Sir Archer Croft, 2nd Baronet, and the broader Croft baronet line; ownership then passed to Walter Michael Moseley and Herbert Richard Moseley before being acquired by Benjamin Altman, the painting's last private owner.
The work is now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having entered through Altman. An exhibition record notes a showing under the title National Portraits.
Overview
This oil painting depicts Lady Rich, also known as Elizabeth Jenks, who passed away in 1558. The portrait focuses on her dignified presence, rendered through a careful attention to her attire and facial expression. The artist employs a direct approach, presenting the sitter against an unadorned backdrop to ensure her figure remains the central focus.
Artist & collection
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Woman
Isabella Jagiellon
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a woman
Portrait of a mother (the daughter is overpainted)
Portrait of an English lady
Portrait of a Woman in a Leopard Cloak
Ritratto di donna (Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne ?)
Margareta of Austria
Marie de Batarnay- Lady Lee (Margaret Wyatt, born about 1509)
