Artwork
Old Woman Reading
Old Woman Reading is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jan Lievens. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a portrait by Jan Lievens created in 1622, the work captures the dignity of age and the cultural value placed on reading within 17th‑century Dutch society.
The painting shows an elderly woman absorbed in reading a book, her posture and expression conveying quiet contemplation. She is depicted with glasses perched on her nose, a fur collar, and a richly patterned carpet beneath a wooden table, elements that emphasize domestic refinement and the intellectual activity of an older woman. The book and spectacles serve as symbols of literacy and the pursuit of knowledge, while the fur and table hint at material comfort.
As a portrait by Jan Lievens created in 1622, the work captures the dignity of age and the cultural value placed on reading within 17th‑century Dutch society.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on wood panel, measuring 71.4 cm by 67.3 cm, depicting an elderly woman absorbed in reading a book while wearing glasses, seated at a table draped with a carpet and surrounded by fur accessories. Executed in 1622, the portrait exemplifies Lievens’ meticulous handling of light and texture, with fine brushwork defining the sitter’s features and the richly detailed domestic setting. The painting is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection, having entered it through the bequest of John G. Johnson.
History & Provenance
Jan Lievens created the oil-on-panel painting Old Woman Reading in 1622. The work was originally owned by John G. Johnson. It is currently held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where it is cataloged as item number 487.
Overview
Jan Lievens’ Old Woman Reading is an oil painting executed in 1622 during the Dutch Golden Age. The work presents a solitary, elderly figure absorbed in a book, set against a dark interior space. It is part of the permanent collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and exemplifies the period’s interest in intimate, genre‑type portraiture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Lievens (24 October 1607 – 4 June 1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter who was associated with his close contemporary Rembrandt, a year older, in the early parts of their careers.
