Whittington, Sir Richard c. 17th century

Editor: This is Renold Elstrack's portrait of Sir Richard Whittington, an engraving. It's so incredibly detailed! The little cat is charming, but there is an overall serious mood. What do you make of this piece? Curator: The weight of Whittington’s civic role, his legacy—it’s all there, isn’t it? But the cat…yes, it's endearing. It hints at the popular tale of Whittington's rise to fortune. A commoner who becomes mayor three times! What a story! Do you think the artist meant for the cat to soften the image, make it more approachable? Editor: Perhaps! It adds a bit of levity to an otherwise very formal portrait. Curator: Exactly! It's that tension, that balance between the official and the personal, that I find so compelling. Made me think about the stories we tell ourselves.