Artwork
Portrait of Aertje Witsen (1599-1652)
Portrait of Aertje Witsen (1599-1652) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist David Bailly. It dates from 1626 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye to the subject's face.
This painting is a portrait of a woman, likely from the 17th century. She is depicted wearing a dark dress with a white lace collar and a red flower at her chest. Her hair is dark and pulled back, and she wears a pearl necklace.
The woman's face is serious, with a subtle, enigmatic smile. Her eyes seem to gaze directly at the viewer, giving the impression that she is looking right at us. The overall effect is one of quiet dignity and refinement.
The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye to the subject's face. To learn more about the artist behind this work, look up David Bailly.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Aertge Witsen (1599–1652), a Dutch woman portrayed with dark hair styled in an updo. She wears a dark gown featuring a central rosette beneath a heavy chain, a pearl necklace, and a distinctive large, standing composite lace ruff. The work functions as a formal portrait emphasizing the sitter's status and attire typical of the early 17th century.
Although the subject was historically misidentified as Maria van Reigersberg, wife of Hugo de Grot, this attribution was corrected in 2000. The identification of Witsen was confirmed by a preparatory drawing by David Bailly discovered in Paris, which bore the inscription 'jufvrouw van Swieten' on its reverse, referencing her marriage to Cornelis Bicker, owner of Kasteel Swieten. The painting may have originally formed part of a double portrait with her husband, though no such pair is currently known to exist alongside the single portrait.
Technique & Style
David Bailly executed this 1626 portrait using oil paint on a copper support. The work measures 18.5 cm in height and 14.8 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting depicts the sitter with dark hair arranged in an updo, wearing a dark dress adorned with a central rosette and a heavy chain.
A prominent feature of the composition is the large, upright composite lace ruff surrounding the subject's neck, which also bears a pearl necklace. The artist signed the piece 'D. bailly fecit.' in the lower left corner and inscribed the date 'Ao. 1625.' in the lower right.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned as a portrait of Aertge Witsen, a wealthy Amsterdam merchant's daughter, and created by David Bailly in 1626 on copper. It bears the signature 'D. bailly fecit' in the lower left and the date 'Ao. 1625' in the lower right, confirming its creation date as 1626. The work entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam through a purchase from art dealer P.C. Huybrechts on November 29, 1806.
The portrait is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The museum acquired the work from art dealer P.C. Huybrechts on November 29, 1806. Although the painting itself bears a date of 1625, historical records and catalogues often associate the work with the year 1626.
The identification of the sitter as Aertje Witsen was solidified in 2000 following the discovery of a related drawing by the artist in Paris, which corrected previous assumptions that the subject was Maria van Reigersberch. While a corresponding double portrait featuring her husband was last recorded at a London gallery in 1990, no specific exhibition history for this individual panel is detailed in the available records.
Overview
David Bailly’s 1626 portrait of Aertje Witsen, rendered on a copper panel, is a representative work of the Dutch Golden Age. The painting presents a young woman in a dark dress with a white lace collar, a red flower at her chest, and a pearl necklace, embodying the restrained elegance typical of early‑17th‑century portraiture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
David Bailly (1584–1657) was a Dutch Golden Age artist known for his still-life paintings, portraits, and self-portraits.
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of Antoinette Walleran (1598-?)
Portrait of Sophia de Vervou (c. 1613-71)
Portrait of Griete Jacobsdr van Rhijn (1585-1652). Wife of Jacob Cornelisz Banjaert, called van Neck
A portrait of a noblewoman
Untitled
Helena Fourment (1614-73). The artist's second wife