The Cholmondeley Ladies by Unknown Artist - c. 1600 - 172,3 x 88,6 cm Tate Britain The Cholmondeley Ladies by Unknown Artist - c. 1600 - 172,3 x 88,6 cm Tate Britain

The Cholmondeley Ladies

oil on wood • 172,3 x 88,6 cm
  • Unknown Artist Unknown Artist c. 1600

According to the inscription (bottom left), this painting shows 'Two Ladies of the Cholmondeley Family, Who were born the same day, Married the same day, And brought to Bed [gave birth] the same day'. To mark this dynastic event, they are formally presented in bed, their babies wrapped in scarlet fabric. Identical at a superficial glance, the lace, jewellery and eye colours of the ladies and infants are in fact carefully differentiated. The format echoes tomb sculpture of the period. The ladies, whose precise identities are unclear, were probably painted by an artist based in Chester, near the Cholmondeley estates.

This is one of the weirdest paintings I've seen in a while - this is why I thought it deserved to be shown in DailyArt! :)

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