A Woman, possibly Elizabeth Pope (née Watson)

Robert Peake the Elder, ca. 1551–1619

ca. 1615

Oil on canvas

Yale Center for British Art

A woman with pale skin and rosy cheeks is depicted in a formal portrait, wearing an elaborate ruffled collar and a richly patterned dress. She has a feathered headdress and ornate jewelry. Despite the later and erroneous inscription, this young woman wears fashions from the later 1610s and bears a striking resemblance to portraits of Elizabeth Watson, the daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Watson of Halstead in Kent. Portraits were often painted to mark significant events in a life, and this example may mark her marriage to Sir William Pope (1596–1624) of Wroxton Abbey, Oxfordshire, in 1615. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016 Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection