Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury







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Unknown woman, formerly known as Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury
by Unknown artist
oil on panel, circa 1535
24 3/4 in. x 19 1/4 in. (629 mm x 489 mm)
Given by the Art Fund, 1931
Primary Collection
NPG 2607
Sitterback to top
- Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury (1473-1541), Noblewoman. Sitter associated with 2 portraits.
This portraitback to top
The identity of the sitter in this portrait is not certain, but is traditionally thought to be Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury. The honeysuckle blossom has connotations of love and faithfulness, and the tiny barrel charm may be an allusion to the execution of her father George, Duke of Clarence, who was apparently drowned in a butt of malmsey wine (sweet wine imported from Greece).
Linked publicationsback to top
- Piper, David, The English Face, 1992, p. 23
- Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 689
- Strong, Roy, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, 1969, p. 272
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1535back to top
Current affairs
The former Lord Chancellor Sir Thomas More is beheaded for High Treason after refusing to recognise King Henry VIII's religious supremacy.The Bishop of Rochester John Fisher is executed on the same charge.
Art and science
The German artist Hans Holbein the Younger paints King Henry VIII.International
The French navigator Jacques Cartier explores the sites that will become Quebec and Montreal. He names the territory Canada.Lima in present day Peru is founded by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro
The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V captures the city of Tunis in present-day Tunisia from the Ottoman admiral Khair ad-Din, called Barbarossa.
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