The hand that does the work

Oil on canvas, 90cmx60cm Looking at portraits of women in the 17th Century I was struck by the lack of real personality in them: they are stylised and formulaic - a mere comment on the wealth of the possession/person and nothing to do with the character. What would the women themselves have wanted? Subtle signs of rebellion, like a clenched fist, or a wilder dress colour - I've done that for them and us. Here the hand has become the strong hand of a labourer, limp but powerful.