Meet Mary, Lady Guildford. The size of this painting by Hans Holbein, nearly 4 feet tall, suggests her significant social standing—and the magnitude of her personality. This portrait originally hung next to Holbein's portrait of Mary's husband, Sir Henry Guildford. Like most women in the 1500s, Mary's identity was largely defined in relation to her spouse. Sir Henry Guildford served King Henry VIII as controller of the royal household. He oversaw the organization of elaborate entertainment, displays, and diplomatic festivities for the king. At the time strict laws dictated who could wear certain materials, colors, fabrics, furs, and adornments, which were associated with social rank. Lady Guildford is draped in multiple gold chains and dressed in precious cloth of gold and a decorated gable headdress. Holbein also includes objects that allude to her religious devotion. She holds a sprig of rosemary, representing remembrance and fidelity, and carries a rosary and a volume of "Vita...