An unidentified figure looks away from the viewer, but this is not a portrait of disengagement. The surrounding symbols intrigue us, potentially indicating mood, atmosphere, status and significance. As a work with no inscription, no verbal device, the painting remains as tight-lipped as the woman depicted. Instead, art historians have turned to the study of signs to decipher meaning.
The inclusion of animals in portraiture was far from unusual at this point in history - this painting has often been compared to Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine and Holbein himself includes animals in his own works, such as the depiction of Henry VIII's chief falconer proudly displaying his occupation to the viewer. In this case, it was first proposed that the squirrel balanced on the arm of the sitter was perhaps a household pet. More recently, its surreptitious chewing of a nut has been linked to the coat of arms of the Lovell family. Thus the squirrel becomes imbued with additional heraldic connotations whilst possibly revealing the identity of the sitter as Anne Lovell, wife of Sir Francis Lovell of East Harling in Norfolk, who had no daughters. Conservation at the National Gallery also suggests that the squirrel was added later, with the sleeve of the figure moved lower to accommodate its positioning, further implying it was a request of the family to include their coat of arms. If the squirrel has heraldic symbolism, the starling by the head of the figure is even more difficult to interpret. Mark Roskill believed the bird to be dead as it was depicted in shadow behind the figure, which seems unlikely given the glint to the bird's eye and tilted, animated head up towards the sitter. Others imply it could be a pun on the name 'Harling', as it is a starling. But as David King notes, it would be highly unusual for a portrait of this time to indicate the name of a place.
Instead, Holbein generally sticks to tradition in his restrained depiction of a female figure. As the recent exhibition at the Queen's Picture Gallery in London shows, he made copious amounts of preparatory drawings for paintings and it shows in the exquisite detail of his finished oils. The difference, for instance, between the skin of the figure around her neckline and the opaque material that covers her chest is skillfully distinguished; the sense of material is palpable and creased to show real usage. Similarly, the creases of the weighty fabric around the neck of the figure serve to enhance realism. This is furthered by how close the figure is to the edge of the picture plane, compressed into the space, her delicate hands barely fitting within the frame. Her headdress gives her character, a trope exploited by other Northern Renaissance artists from Van Eyck to Van Der Weyden. Holbein continues a line of portraiture that works for him, utilising generalised, naturalistic vine leaves for the background as he did in many portraits. Most striking of all is the depth of colour, particularly in the turquoise background that has been preserved so well. At this point in his career, Holbein was making his first brief visit to England, one of many, a place which would soon have a lasting effect on his career.
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