Anne Hyde, Duchess of York, by Sir Peter Lely
I’m looking at a black-and-white reproduction of this painting. It’s a beautiful dress... if only I knew what colour it was. (Ten minutes later) - I’ve just looked at it on the internet, and it’s GOLD! Ugh! Too much gold in a painting is rather overpowering. But I still like the overall design of the dress. I’d have it in a much more demure (you could say boring) colour. But then again... that gold is growing on me. If I were a duchess, sitting to have my portrait painted by one of the most renowned portraitists in England, I probably would wear something dazzlingly fabulous - fabulously dazzling. But gold isn’t for everyday wear. Another thing - gold paint was very expensive, so if your portrait had a lot of gold in it, it would have been something of a status symbol.
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