Jane Thornaugh (née Jackson), Lady Thornaugh

This spectacular portrait may represent the seventeen-year-old Jane Jackson (d. 1661). She is dressed in the height of court fashion for the reign of King James I. Her daringly low-cut jacket is embroidered with insects, birds, and flowers, and her skirt is equally magnificent: plants, birds, and fantastic beasts all play upon a watery surface, with the folds of the fabric mirroring the ripples on the water. The costume is completed by a striking mantle of red velvet and blue silk, which is worn across her body. Although the identity of this young woman is not certain, we know that Jane Jackson married Francis Thornhaugh (d. 1643) in around 1617, the year this portrait was painted. Thornhaugh (pronounced “Thorney”) was a prominent member of the Midlands gentry who served as Sheriff of Nottingham. In commissioning this portrait, he turned to the renowned London-born painter William Larkin, who enjoyed the patronage of some of England’s most powerful nobles.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2017

Credit Line: Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund