Who would want to be the director of the British Museum? The question is prompted in the first instance by the announcement in July that Hartwig Fischer, who has been the director since May 2016, has resigned. Nobody could ever imagine that his job was easy, but the question has been reinforced in the past few weeks by seemingly relentless bad news.

So few British regional museums are currently holding exhibitions of art that was made prior to the twentieth century that this thoughtful and visually rich one-room show is especially welcome. Between 1400 and 1600 interest in portraiture exploded throughout western Europe. Painted portraits often played a role in marriage negotiations and celebrations among the elites. This exhibition considers the various related roles and purposes of portraiture, especially among ruling and noble families. Marriage alliances were, of course, central to the politics of the period.