Artwork
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Young Woman is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Pieter Pourbus. It dates from 1564 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work is a 1564 oil‑on‑panel portrait by Pieter Pourbus that shows an unidentified young woman as its sole sitter; the painting’s genre is a conventional portrait, and the subject is recorded simply as ‘woman’ in the documentation. No specific iconographic attributes or symbolic objects are mentioned in the surviving records, indicating that the image functions primarily as a representation of the sitter’s appearance and status rather than as an allegorical or emblematic scene.
Technique & Style
As an oil painting on panel, the medium provides an overall very smooth support for detailed execution.
Portrait of a Young Woman is an oil painting on panel created by Pieter Pourbus in 1564. The work is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and measures approximately 39.4 cm high and 31.8 cm wide. It depicts a woman and belongs to the portrait genre.
It is classified as a painting. As an oil painting on panel, the medium provides an overall very smooth support for detailed execution.
History & Provenance
Portrait of a Young Woman is an oil painting on panel executed in 1564 by the Dutch artist Pieter Jansz. Pourbus. The work depicts a solitary female sitter and belongs to the portrait genre.
It was created as a standalone portrait, though no documentary evidence of its original commission survives. Following its execution, the painting entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it remains on public view. The museum's catalogue records the acquisition without detailing prior private owners, indicating that the museum holds clear title to the work.
Overview
Pieter Pourbus, a Flemish painter active in Bruges during the 16th century, completed Portrait of a Young Woman in 1564. Executed in oil paint, this work exemplifies the portraiture genre prevalent in the Northern Renaissance. It is now housed in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, representing a key aspect of Pourbus's artistic output, which frequently included both religious subjects and individual likenesses.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Jansz. Pourbus (c. 1523–1584) was a Flemish Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer and cartographer who was active in Bruges during the 16th century. He is known primarily for his religious and portrait paintings.
- Portrait of a young woman
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Young Woman
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