The artwork, titled “Mrs. Pemberton,” was created by the artist Hans Holbein the Younger circa 1535 in Germany. This portrait is a work of the Northern Renaissance art movement and falls under the portrait genre.
In the artwork, a woman is depicted with a serene yet contemplative expression. She is adorned in traditional 16th-century attire, featuring a modest bonnet and a dark dress with a high collar and intricate lace edging. The woman holds a small flower delicately in her hands, symbolizing perhaps a sense of grace or gentility. Her garments are richly detailed, showcasing Holbein’s adeptness at capturing textures, with the combination of fabric and lace being particularly noteworthy. The background is a subdued, dark hue, allowing the subject to stand out prominently. The inscriptions to the sides of her head, “ANNO” and “ETATIS SUA 22,” indicate the year and her age, a customary detail in Holbein’s portraits, emphasizing the sitter’s identity and societal status. The masterful brushwork and the detailed realism epitomize the Northern Renaissance’s commitment to lifelike representation and intricate detail.
