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| Keywords: mother children portrait 17th century 17thcentury barbara gammage barbaragammage leicester tudors stuarts dudley sidney gown The Welsh heiress Barbara Gamage brought a large fortune to Robert Sidney at their marriage on September 23, 1584, when she was twenty-two and he a year or so younger. The marriage was hastily arranged by her guardians after her father's death to subvert designs by other kinsfolk and suitors to gain control of her and her wealth. Lady Sidney bore twelve children, eight girls and four boys, of whom two sons died in infancy. The Marcus Gheeraerts portrait of Lady Sidney and six of her children hangs at Penshurst Place, in the collection of Viscount de L'Isle, VC, KG. It portrays her as a fruitful wife and nurturing mother. Barbara's hands rest on her two sons (who are still in skirts — not yet "breeched"), betokening her special care of them as vessels of family continuity; the central figure is the presumptive heir, William, though in fact his early death made the second son, Robert, the heir. The daughters are arranged in two pairs, with the mother's nurturing gesture replicated by the elder of each pair; the oldest daughter is Mary, later the writer Mary Wroth. The Welsh heiress Barbara Gamage brought a large fortune to Robert Sidney at their marriage on September 23, 1584, when she was twenty-two and he a year or so younger. The marriage was hastily arranged by her guardians after her father's death to subvert designs by other kinsfolk and suitors to gain control of her and her wealth. Lady Sidney bore twelve children, eight girls and four boys, of whom two sons died in infancy. The Marcus Gheeraerts portrait of Lady Sidney and six of her children hangs at Penshurst Place, in the collection of Viscount de L'Isle, VC, KG. It portrays her as a fruitful wife and nurturing mother. Barbara's hands rest on her two sons (who are still in skirts — not yet "breeched"), betokening her special care of them as vessels of family continuity; the central figure is the presumptive heir, William, though in fact his early death made the second son, Robert, the heir. The daughters are arranged in two pairs, with the mother's nurturing gesture replicated by the elder of each pair; the oldest daughter is Mary, later the writer Mary Wroth. | ||||
