Focus on Lady Dorothy Browne and Sir Thomas Browne and explore the Description.
The two Brownes are portrayed in contrasting styles. Lady Browne, dressed with two brooches and a headpiece, is looking directly at the viewer with a pleasant expression. Sir Thomas, on the other hand, appears to be staring into the distance. He is dressed in black with a white collar. American professor Reid Barbour has likened the pair to the pastoral poems of John Milton, with Lady Browne representing the upbeat L'Allegro while Sir Thomas is the serious Il Penseroso. Barbour nonetheless described the two as complementing each other. There are no books or symbols visible in the painting.The painting is 184 by 229 millimetres (7.2 in × 9.0 in) in size, and has been in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London since 1924 under the catalogue number NPG 2062.
L'Allegro National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery, London John Milton Il Penseroso