A Woman, Previously Thought to Be Anne, Lady Cavendish

This painting was acquired because it was believed to depict Anne Yale, daughter of Elihu Yale, and, from 1708, wife of James, Lord Cavendish, a son of the Duke of Devonshire. At the time, the large group portrait that includes Elihu Yale and his son-in-law Cavendish was thought to commemorate the agreement for Anne's marriage settlement.

However, the woman depicted here wears an ermine-lined robe, which in the early eighteenth century was worn only by peers, that is, members of the aristocracy. Anne was not a member of the peerage so this cannot be her portrait. Like several objects associated with Elihu Yale now in the university's collections, this portrait once hung at Glemham Hall, Suffolk, the home of Yale's other son-in-law, Dudley North. Research has revealed that the likeness is identical to another member of the North family, though questions remain about the sitter's true identity.

Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2021