The Minneapolis Institute of Art is home to this striking portrait of a noblewoman, painted by an unknown artist in c.1550. The work was formerly attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger, but the scholar Roy Strong argued that it was more likely painted after Holbein’s death and assigned it to the ‘Circle of William Scrots’. The sitter was once thought to be Mary I, but art historians have concluded that the resemblance is not convincing. The sitter is now thought to be a member of the Bodenham family.

The stunning brooch shows a woman seated playing what looks to be a lute. The inscription reads, ‘Praise the Lorde for ever more’. The sitter is holding a girdle book (or portable prayer book) encased in gold, which is another high-status item. Such a fascinating portrait!