Who painted Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff?

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff was painted by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt in 1638.

Where can I see Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff?

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff?

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt (1638)

Inscription: Inscribed:center right: AEtatis, 26 / Ao 1638 / M. Miereveldt

About this work

Technique & Style

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel in 1638 by Michiel van Miereveld.

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff is an oil painting executed on a wooden panel in 1638 by Michiel van Miereveld. The work measures 70.5 cm in height by 57.9 cm in width, a size recorded in the National Gallery of Art's cataloguing data. As an oil on panel, the piece employs the traditional binding medium that allows fine modelling of facial features and delicate rendering of textiles, characteristic of Dutch portraiture of the period.

The composition depicts a three-quarter length figure of a woman wearing a stiff ruff, a format that emphasizes both likeness and the sitter's social presentation.

History & Provenance

Created in 1638 by Michiel van Miereveld, this oil-on-panel portrait has an uncertain early history. It may have belonged to the Van der Bogaerde collection in 's-Hertogenbosch or L. Baron in Paris before appearing at a Christie's auction in London on November 23, 1901, though the brief catalogue description leaves this identification open to question. The work was definitely sold again at Christie's on December 20, 1902, consigned by J.C. Bennett and purchased by the dealers P. & D. Colnaghi & Co.

In 1903, Eugene Fischof of Paris sold the painting to Clement Acton Griscom of Philadelphia. Following Griscom's death, it was included in his estate sale at the Plaza Art Galleries in New York in February 1914, where it was acquired by William Robertson Coe of Oyster Bay, Long Island. The painting subsequently entered the holdings of the Coe Foundation, which gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1961. No specific accession number is recorded in the available documentation.

Context

Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff is an oil on panel portrait painted by Michiel van Miereveld in 1638, measuring 70.5 cm by 57.9 cm. The work entered the National Gallery of Art collection through a series of sales and purchases that began with a 1901 Christie's auction and culminated in a 1961 gift, as recorded in auction catalogues and archival correspondence. Its provenance and dimensions are documented in primary sales records and the museum's catalog entry, situating the piece within the Dutch Golden Age portrait tradition.

Legacy

The painting is part of the National Gallery of Art's collection in Washington, D.C., a status that underscores its recognized significance and contributes to ongoing scholarly discussion of Dutch portraiture. Its documented journey from a possible early Dutch collection through several European and American owners to a 1961 gift reflects a provenance that has been traced across centuries. The work's classification as an oil portrait on panel, created in 1638, is recorded in both its provenance record and cataloguing data, reinforcing its status as a well-preserved example of seventeenth-century portraiture.

Overview

Michiel van Miereveld's "Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff," created in 1638, is an oil on panel painting. This work exemplifies the formal portraiture common in the Dutch Golden Age, presenting an unidentified woman. The artist meticulously captures her likeness, emphasizing her composed demeanor and the distinctive fashion of her time. The painting serves as a testament to the period's artistic focus on individual representation and detailed execution.

Subject & Meaning

The painting centers on a woman, whose face is the primary focus, conveying a calm and collected expression. She is depicted wearing a large, elaborate ruff around her neck, a prominent fashion accessory of the early 17th century, alongside other period attire. This formal presentation underscores her social standing and the dignified nature expected of portrait subjects during this era, with her attire signaling contemporary elegance.

Artist & collection

Artist

Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Michiel Janszoon (abbr. Jansz.) van Mierevelt (Dutch pronunciation:; also spelled Miereveld or Miereveldt; 1 May 1566 – 27 June 1641) was a Dutch painter and draftsman of the Dutch Golden Age.