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Young Woman with Distaff, Facing Right

Israel Henriet

1626

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque

Dominant colour

Young Woman with Distaff, Facing Right is a 1626 ink by Israel Henriet, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Israel Henriet
When & what style?: 1626 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows a woman in old-fashioned clothes, holding a long wooden tool called a distaff in her right hand. Her left hand rests on her hip, and she wears a long skirt with a belt tied around her waist. The lines in the drawing are sharp and detailed, especially in her dress and the folds of fabric. The artist used a technique that lets them create fine lines and textures, perfect for showing the fabric’s details. This kind of drawing was common in the 1600s. Want to see more like this? Check out etching for how artists make prints like this one.