English: John Cooke (d.1528), and Joan Cooke (d.1545)

by unknown artist

Oil on wood panel, 81.2 x 75.6 cm Collection: Gloucester Museums Service Art Collection

Joan Cooke leading John Cooke who wears his fur fitted or fur trimmed (sable or marten) mayoral robe. He has one hand on her waist, and the other in hers.

She is holding a pair of gloves, these may be his Freeman's gloves, if so then this is a highly unusual statement of her status. The pattern lines of the under drawing can be seen in parts of the faces. Age has made the glazes more transparent, giving more prominence to some features, making the painting more naive than it would have looked originally. There may be more ochres in this and the other paintings than in other known pictures because ochre was mined in the Forest of Dean, however the paint would have to be tested to confirm this. The panel appears to have been cut down as the edges appear new. Oil on English oak panel, heavily braced to rear.