A Picture to Puzzle Over

Kinship riddle pictures are a rare and fascinating genre of painting, in which complex family relationships are presented as a visual puzzle for the viewer to unravel. Popular during the sixteenth century, these compositions reflect the Elizabethan appetite for intellectual diversions, wordplay and allegorical subjects.

In this example, the scene is arranged around a seemingly impossible family relationship. On the right-hand side, a standing male figure appears to initiate the exchange, asking what is taking place. The lady, seated with her husband asleep in her lap, then poses the riddle to her two half-brothers: how can they, alongside her own legitimate son, all be considered sons of her husband? In doing so, she challenges the man to unravel the apparent contradiction, with his position almost mirroring that of the viewer, who is likewise invited to consider the unusual family relationships.

The unusual arrangement encourages the viewer to look beyond the immediate scene and consider the relationships between the figures. It is easy to imagine such a painting prompting lively discussion among a group gathered around it, perhaps after dinner. Indeed, historical records suggest that pictures of this genre were sometimes displayed on the walls of taverns, where they would have provided an entertaining subject for conversation and debate.

Unravelling the Family Relationships

Although several possible solutions have been proposed, based on different combinations of marriages and remarriages, the most probable explanation centres on the daughters of the sleeping husband's previous marriage.

The woman's two half-brothers are understood to have married these daughters. Through their marriages, they became sons-in-law to the sleeping husband, while also becoming brothers-in-law to the woman's legitimate son. The riddle therefore plays on the different meanings of familial relationships, using marriage and kinship to construct an apparently contradictory family tree.

It is this clever interplay of language, relationships and visual storytelling that makes the painting such an engaging example of the genre.

Dating the Painting

The accuracy of the sartorial detailing provides compelling evidence for dating the painting to the 1590s. The clothing worn by the figures reflects fashions current in the early part of that decade, particularly the Lady's squared neckline and dramatic lace ruff. The men's notably short breeches are characteristic of the late 1580s and early 1590s, when fashionable silhouettes emphasised youth and physical vigour.

In contrast, the Lady's husband wears an earlier style of dress, comprising a black overgown over a doublet, accompanied by a Tudor-style cap. Such attire would have been appropriate for an older gentleman, suggesting a deliberate distinction between the generations represented in the composition.

This careful differentiation is significant. A later pastiche might be expected to present the figures in a more uniform interpretation of a particular period's fashions. Here, however, the precise treatment of dress across the different generations is more consistent with an original work. The convincing rendering of the fabrics and their intricate details further supports the suggestion that the painting was executed when these fashions were still current.

The wording of the inscription provides another intriguing clue. While seventeenth-century examples of the genre at Knole and Copped Hall address the Lady as 'Madam', earlier known examples begin with the words 'My faire Lady'. Although the inscription in the present painting is partially obscured, it appears more likely to correspond with this earlier form, further supporting a date in the late sixteenth century.

A Rare Survival

Surviving examples of kinship riddle pictures are exceptionally rare, making this composition a particularly interesting subject for study. A comparable painting is held in the collection of Harvard University, featuring a remarkably similar grouping of figures and offering a valuable point of comparison.

Together, these works provide a glimpse into a distinctive aspect of sixteenth-century visual culture, when paintings could serve not only as decorative objects but also as intellectual diversions, inviting viewers to participate in the stories and puzzles they depicted.

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Auction Details

Tuesday 3 November, 10.30am GMT
Donnington Priory, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2JE

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Viewing at Dreweatts London (highlights): 16-17 Pall Mall, SW1Y 5LU
Monday 26 October: 10am-4pm
Tuesday 27 October: 10am-7pm
Wednesday 28 October: 10am-4pm

Viewing at Dreweatts Newbury (full sale): Donnington Priory, RG14 2JE
Saturday 31 October: 10am-3pm
Sunday 1 November: 10am-3pm
Monday 2 November: 10am-4pm

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