Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Dirck Carbasius. It dates from 1640 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These garments serve as primary iconographic markers, grounding the work firmly within the genre of portraiture while highlighting the fashion of the era.
Created in 1640 by Dirck Carbasius, this oil painting on panel portrays an unidentified woman from Haarlem. The subject is distinguished by specific elements of seventeenth-century Dutch attire, most notably a millstone collar and a diadem cap. These garments serve as primary iconographic markers, grounding the work firmly within the genre of portraiture while highlighting the fashion of the era.
As the individual depicted remains unknown, the painting's meaning derives largely from its function as a formal record of status and appearance rather than a narrative allegory. The composition focuses entirely on the female figure, utilizing her clothing to convey social standing without additional symbolic attributes.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a technique and material combination typical of 17th-century Dutch portraiture. The work measures 60.2 cm in height and 52.2 cm in width, reflecting the modest scale common for private portrait commissions of the period. Its formal qualities include a restrained palette and precise rendering of facial features, while the inclusion of a millstone collar and diadem cap suggests contemporary bourgeois attire and symbolic accessories. The handling of light emphasizes the sitter's face and hands, drawing attention to her expression and status.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Woman was produced by Dirck Carbasius in 1640, painted in oil on panel in Haarlem. The work subsequently entered the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is held at the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the museum's holdings. No further details regarding an earlier ownership chain, commission, or intermediate provenance are documented in the available sources.
The Portrait of a Woman by Dirck Carbasius is held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections, specifically located at the Alte Pinakothek. Created in 1640, this oil-on-panel work depicts an unidentified woman wearing a millstone collar and diadem cap. The provided sources do not list a specific inventory or accession number for the piece, nor do they document any exhibition history or past display locations beyond its current institutional home.
Overview
Dirck Carbasius painted this oil portrait in 1640, presenting an unnamed woman dressed in the fashion of the early seventeenth century. The work is part of the collection at Munich’s Alte Pinakothek and is rendered in a restrained palette that emphasizes the sitter’s attire and expression against an unadorned backdrop.
Context
The early 1640s marked a period of transition in Dutch painting, with artists balancing realism and emerging stylistic conventions. Carbasius’s work reflects this milieu, focusing on individualized representation while adhering to the modest aesthetic favored by many patrons of the era.
Artist & collection
- Portrait of a Woman
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