Artwork
Portrait of a woman aged 24
Portrait of a woman aged 24 is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Herman van der Mast. It dates from 1594 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The portrait belongs to the genre of individual female portraiture common in the Northern Netherlands during the late sixteenth century.
The painting depicts an anonymous young woman at the age of twenty-four, as indicated by the work's title. The portrait belongs to the genre of individual female portraiture common in the Northern Netherlands during the late sixteenth century. The specific inclusion of the sitter's age in the title suggests the work may have commemorated a significant life moment, such as marriage or betrothal, a convention in Dutch Golden Age and late Renaissance portraiture. No additional attributes, emblems, or symbolic objects are recorded in the sources to indicate further iconographic meaning.
Technique & Style
Herman van der Mast executed the Portrait of a woman aged 24 in 1587 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 89 cm in height and 73.5 cm in width, adhering to the formal conventions of the portrait genre. As a painted likeness of a female subject, the piece demonstrates the artist's handling of oil medium on a rigid wooden surface typical of late sixteenth-century Northern European portraiture.
History & Provenance
The Portrait of a woman aged 24 was created in 1587 by Herman van der Mast as an oil paint portrait on panel, measuring 89 by 73.5 cm. It entered the collection of Jean Philippe Rudolph Marie de Nerée tot Babberich before being acquired by the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. The work is catalogued in the Rijksmuseum's holdings and was previously owned by the collector Jean Philippe Rudolph Marie de Nerée tot Babberich.
The painting was commissioned as a likeness of a 24‑year‑old sitter, reflecting the portrait conventions of the late sixteenth century in the Netherlands. Its creation history is documented through the artist’s dated output in 1587, and it was later included in the museum’s inventory, underscoring its provenance from private ownership to public stewardship.
Overview
The 1594 oil-on-panel portrait shows a young woman, aged twenty‑four, rendered in a restrained palette of black garments, white lace collar and headpiece, and a muted brown backdrop. She holds a gold chain, and the painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.
Context
The portrait reflects the Floris workshop’s emphasis on precise figure drawing and the growing demand for individualized likenesses among the Dutch bourgeoisie of the late sixteenth century. Its restrained composition aligns with contemporary portrait conventions while showcasing the artist’s skill in rendering material detail.
Artist & collection
Artist
Herman van der Mast (c. 1550 – 1610) was a Dutch Renaissance painter from the Netherlands. What little we know about Mast are the notes related by Karel van Mander in his Schilder-boeck, who mentioned him as part of a…
