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

Image credit: Gloucester Museums Service Art Collection

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Notes

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Joan Cooke leading John Cooke who wears his 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.

Gloucester Life Museum

Gloucester

Title

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

Medium

oil on wood panel

Measurements

H 81.2 x W 75.6 cm

Accession number

GLRCM : Art01070

Acquisition method

gift, 1959

Work type

Painting

Inscription description

MAs. John Cooke, Mayor / of the citie of / Gloucester / 4 times. Four Sections of four lines each, a later painting over an earlier inscription: 1) Though death hath rested these life mates / Their memory survives / Esteemed myrrors may they be / For majestrats and wives. 2) The school of crist ye Bartholmews / The cawsway in ye west / May wittnes well ye pious minde / This worthy man possest. 3) This virtuous dame perfor'd ye taske / Her husband did intend / And after him in single life / Lived

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Gloucester Life Museum

99–103 Westgate Street, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 2PG England

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