Artwork
Girl with a Peacock Feather
Girl with a Peacock Feather is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Jacob Maris. It dates from 1889 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Technique & Style
The painting's condition appears stable, with no major structural issues reported; the canvas support remains intact under standard museum conditions.
Jacob Maris employed oil paint on canvas to execute Girl with a Peacock Feather in 1889, adopting a waist-length portrait format that emphasizes the sitter's light blond hair and soft features.
The handling combines delicate, blended passages in the face and hands with looser, visible brushwork in the costume and background, typical of Maris's plein-air-inflected naturalism. The composition centers on the child's direct gaze and the symbolic peacock feather, rendered with precise yet unobtrusive detail against a subdued, atmospheric setting.
The painting's condition appears stable, with no major structural issues reported; the canvas support remains intact under standard museum conditions.
History & Provenance
Jacob Maris created the oil-on-canvas portrait Girl with a Peacock Feather in 1889. The work depicts a young girl with blond, waist-length hair holding a quill and a peacock feather. It is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
No specific details regarding the original commission, the identity of the sitter, or the intermediate ownership chain prior to museum acquisition are provided in the available records, and no specific accession number or exhibition history is documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Jacob Maris, a Dutch artist associated with the Hague School, painted Girl with a Peacock Feather in 1889. This oil portrait depicts a young girl holding the distinctive feather, showcasing a departure from Maris's more common landscape subjects. The work exemplifies his engagement with contemporary artistic trends, particularly in its approach to light and its intimate genre focus. It is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The painting presents a young girl with long, blond hair, her gaze directed downwards in a contemplative manner. She wears a dark dress with a contrasting white collar, holding a peacock feather in her right hand. The feather, often a symbol of beauty or vanity, adds a subtle layer of potential meaning to the otherwise straightforward portrait. The composition emphasizes her delicate features and a sense of quiet introspection.
Context
Jacob Maris was a prominent figure within the Hague School, a movement known for its realistic and often melancholic depictions of Dutch landscapes and everyday life. While Maris is primarily recognized for his atmospheric landscape paintings, Girl with a Peacock Feather illustrates his occasional foray into portraiture. This work, created late in the 19th century, bridges his established style with contemporary influences, offering a glimpse into his versatile practice.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Henricus Maris (August 25, 1837 – August 7, 1899) was a Dutch painter, who with his brothers Willem and Matthijs belonged to what has come to be known as the Hague School of painters.
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