Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Nicolaes Maes. It dates from 1676 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right: NMaes 1676
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition reflects the conventions of the period, presenting the subject in modest attire with a direct gaze that underscores her respectable status.
The painting is an oil-on-canvas portrait dated 1676 by Nicolaes Maes. It belongs to the portrait genre and depicts a single woman, a format typical of Dutch portraiture in which the sitter's likeness and social standing were recorded. The composition reflects the conventions of the period, presenting the subject in modest attire with a direct gaze that underscores her respectable status.
The work's provenance, traced from the Camberlyn collection through several owners to the National Gallery of Art, illustrates its long-standing recognition as an example of Maes's portraiture.
History & Provenance
The painting was created in 1676 by Nicolaes Maes. Its early provenance traces to Joseph Guillaume Jean Camberlyn (1783–1861) of Brussels, who likely owned it by 1886 when it was exhibited in Brussels. By 1897 the work was in the possession of the Dowager Camberlyn d'Amougies at Pepinghen, near Brussels, remaining in her family at least until 1915 under her son Joseph Camberlyn d'Amougies.
The painting was sold in Amsterdam on 13 July 1926 at Frederik Muller, then again in London on 16 November 1960 at Sotheby's, before passing through London dealers Appleby Brothers to Mrs. Albert Heyse of Ghent. It was offered at the Heyse sale in Ghent from 13–15 May 1963 and later returned to Appleby Brothers. Joseph F. McCrindle acquired it in New York and gifted it to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 2001. The work measures 116 by 91 centimeters and is rendered in oil on canvas.
Overview
Nicolaes Maes's Portrait of a Lady, an oil on canvas from 1676, exemplifies the artist's mature work during the Dutch Golden Age. Created in Amsterdam, where Maes was a leading portraitist, the painting depicts an anonymous woman in a serene indoor setting. It reflects Maes's commitment to refined and individualized representations in his later career.
Context
Trained under Rembrandt, Nicolaes Maes painted this portrait during his later career in Amsterdam, where he became the city's preeminent portrait artist. The work signifies his artistic evolution from earlier genre scenes to a concentrated focus on portraiture in the late 17th century. This shift occurred within the broader context of the Dutch Golden Age, a period characterized by significant artistic and commercial flourishing.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Maes (January 1634 – December 1693; buried 24 December 1693) was a Dutch painter known for his genre scenes, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life.
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