Artwork
Portret van een vrouw
Portret van een vrouw is an ivory painting by the Rococo painting artist Daniël Bruyninx. It dates from 1764 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays an unidentified woman, as indicated by its classification as a portrait and the explicit notation that it depicts a woman. No further iconographic details, attributes, or symbolic elements are described in the available sources, so any specific meaning beyond a straightforward representation of a female sitter remains unspecified.
Technique & Style
Created in 1764, this portrait by Daniël Bruyninx is executed on a support of ivory, distinguishing it from traditional canvas or panel paintings.
Created in 1764, this portrait by Daniël Bruyninx is executed on a support of ivory, distinguishing it from traditional canvas or panel paintings. The work measures 5.8 cm in height and 4.8 cm in width, indicating a small-scale format typical for miniature portraiture. Classified as a painting within the portrait genre, the piece depicts a woman as its main subject.
The use of ivory as the primary material suggests a technique requiring fine handling to achieve detailed likeness on a hard, non-porous surface.
History & Provenance
The painting titled Portret van een vrouw was created in 1764 by Daniël Bruyninx as an ivory portrait. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display.
The work was commissioned as a likeness of an unidentified sitter, reflecting 18th‑century Dutch portrait conventions. Its dimensions measure 5.8 cm in height and 4.8 cm in width, and it is classified within the portrait genre of Dutch Golden Age art.
The work is held in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, where it forms part of the permanent collection.
It carries the inventory number SK-A-4984. The portrait on ivory entered the museum’s holdings before 1976, though precise acquisition details remain unrecorded in published sources.
To date, the miniature has not been included in any documented temporary exhibitions.
Overview
Created in 1764, this intimate oval portrait by Dutch artist Daniël Bruyninx presents a young woman rendered on a sheet of ivory. The work measures only a few centimeters across and is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection. Bruyninx’s signature appears discreetly in the lower corner, confirming its authorship.
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