Understanding British Portraits

An article by Understanding British Portraits Fellow Dr Janet Couloute on the construction of whiteness, gender and race in Early Modern portraiture has been published in the current issue of Tate Papers. The article focuses on three works in the Tate collection: The Cholmondeley Ladies (c.1600–10) and Marcus Gheeraerts II’s Portrait of an Unknown Lady (c.1595) and Portrait of Captain Thomas Lee (1594), considering markers of racial identity in relation to Englishness, nation-building, colonialism, class, inheritance and motherhood. This article emerged from practice-based research carried out at Tate and from art historical research undertaken during the course of a fellowship awarded by the Understanding British Portraits network. Visit /research-papers for further details and to access the article in full. Image: Marcus Gheeraerts II, Portrait of Captain Thomas Lee, 1594. Oil paint on canvas, 2305 x 1508 mm. Tate collection, reference T03028. Purchased with assistance from the Friends of the Tate Gallery, the Art Fund and the Pilgrim Trust 1980.

Welcome to Understanding British Portraits: a Subject Specialist Network with free membership for professionals working with British portraits including curators, museum learning professionals, researchers, academics and conservators. We aim to enhance the knowledge and understanding of portraits in all media in UK collections, for the benefit of future research, exhibitions, interpretation, display and learning programmes. Our activity is overseen by a Steering Group which comprises representatives from the National Portrait Gallery, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums; Bristol Museum and Art Gallery; Museums Galleries Scotland; the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and the National Trust. Visit our website at for details of our past and forthcoming events; funding and collaboration opportunities; and to become a member of the network. Image: Reinstallation of works in the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Inspiring People project © David Parry