Women Across the Globe & the Centuries: 16C Women in the Modified Ruff

Unknown Lady - English 1500s

1570 Giovanni Antonio Fasolo, Venetian Noblewoman

By the end of the 1500's, many ruffs were lace made of both needle & bobbin type lace. In the 1580s, ruffs generally began to expand even further outward. They became slightly flatter, no longer filling the space from shoulder to neck; instead, the figure-eights became wider & flatter & the ruff itself became wider in diameter. During the 1590s, both small & large open falling neck ruffs & larger standing ruffs & more open bodice areas became popular. By the end of the 16th century, ruffs were falling out of fashion in Western Europe, often in favor of lacy wing collars.

1578 Unknown Lady by Nicholas Hilliard

1580 Domenico Robusti Tintoretto Lady in White

1585 Unknown Lady - French School

1589 Elizabeth Brydges, later Lady Kennedy, daughter of Lord Chandos and maid of honor to Elizabeth I of England, aged 14 by Hieronimo

1590 Domenico Robusti Tintoretto The Dogaressa

1590 Mary Sydney (1561-1621) Herbert Nicolas Hilliard

1590 Unknown Lady by Nicholas Hilliard

1590s Young lady holding a book by Italian School

1592 Mary Rogers, Lady Harington by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger

1595 Mary Fitton by a follower of George Gower Note: Just a little gossip. While researching this painting I found the following, "...Maid of honour to Queen Elizabeth, & alleged to be 'the dark lady' mentioned in Shakespeare's sonnets... Her vivacity made her popular with the young men at court, & she became the mistress of William Herbert (1580-1630), the young earl of Pembroke... Early in 1601 she was "proved with child." Pembroke admitted his responsibility, & both were threatened with imprisonment. The earl "utterly renounced all marriage" and was sent to the Fleet in March, but his mistress, who was delivered of a son, seems to have escaped punishment. The child died soon after birth. According to Sir Peter Leycester (1814-1678) Mary Fitton also bore 2 illegitimate daughters to Sir Richard Leveson, knight...There seems no doubt that she married Captain William Polwhele in 1607." (Stephen & Lee, 1889, p. 83)