Portrait Miniatures: Tiny Windows to the Past · Mrs Jane Small, formerly Mrs Pemberton

Mrs Jane Small, formerly Mrs Pemberton

Title: Mrs Jane Small, formerly Mrs Pemberton
Creator: Holbein, Hans; Holbein, Hans, 1497?-1543
Date: ca. 1536
Description: Portrait miniature of Mrs Jane Small, formerly Mrs Pemberton, watercolour on vellum in a decorated case, by Hans Holbein, ca. 1536.

Portrait miniature of a woman, half-length, turned to right, contained in a circular case, the lid decorated with a dragon and other heraldic devices.

Unique in that this portrait miniature depicts someone other than a courtier, the identity of the woman painted by Holbein is likely Mrs. Jane Small, nee Pemberton. Jane was married to a prosperous London merchant, Nicholas Small. She and her husband were neighbors of Holbein's. It is unknown if Holbein painted this portrait for a particular occasion, or why the sitter is shown holding a leaf and wearing a red flower and two ears of corn.
Subject: Portrait miniatures, English
has style period: Tudor
Medium: watercolor (paint); vellum (parchment)
diameter: Diameter: 52mm
Lid diameter: 65mm
Has Part: This object consists of 2 parts.

Miniature
Decorated Lid
Coverage: England
Provenance: Purchased with Art Fund support, and the assistance of the Murray Bequest and an anonymous donor
Rights: Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Identifier: P.40&A-1935
Relation: Prints, Drawings, & Paintings Collection