Artwork

Portrait of a Girl

Portrait of a Girl, by Pieter van Lint, oil, 1645
Portrait of a Girl, by Pieter van Lint, oil, 1645

Portrait of a Girl is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Pieter van Lint. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The sitter is portrayed as a young girl, accompanied by a small dog and a toy rattle, which together suggest childhood and domestic playfulness.

The sitter is portrayed as a young girl, accompanied by a small dog and a toy rattle, which together suggest childhood and domestic playfulness. The dog’s presence may allude to fidelity or companionship, while the rattle signals infancy and innocence. These elements collectively frame the portrait as a celebration of youth within a private, familial context, underscoring the girl’s social identity and the affectionate bonds surrounding her.

Technique & Style

The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a medium typical of mid-seventeenth-century Flemish portraiture. The handling is smooth and controlled, with careful attention to the rendering of facial features and the delicate textures of the child’s costume and the dog’s fur. The composition is arranged in a three-quarter view, directing the viewer’s gaze toward the girl’s face and the small dog at her side.

The palette is restrained yet harmonious, with muted tones that enhance the luminous quality of the child’s skin and the subtle highlights on the fabrics. The brushwork remains largely invisible, contributing to the refined finish characteristic of the period.

History & Provenance

The painting titled 'Portrait of a Girl' was created in 1645 by the artist Pieter van Lint. Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 87.8 cm in height and 67.8 cm in width. The composition depicts a young girl accompanied by a dog and a toy rattle.

The artwork is currently held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains located. No specific details regarding the original commission or the intermediate ownership chain prior to its arrival at the museum are provided in the available records.

Portrait of a Girl is an oil painting on canvas created in 1645 by Pieter van Lint. It measures 87.8 cm in height and 67.8 cm in width. The work belongs to the portrait genre and depicts a girl accompanied by a dog and a toy rattle.

It is part of the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it is accessioned under the institution’s holdings. The painting has been exhibited at the museum as part of its permanent collection displays, though specific exhibition titles are not detailed in the sources.

The piece was created in Antwerp and remains in the museum’s possession, maintaining its historical and artistic context within the institution’s collection.

Context

The Portrait of a Girl by Pieter van Lint, painted in 1645, exemplifies 17th-century Flemish portraiture through its naturalistic rendering and inclusion of symbolic objects such as a dog and toy rattle. The work is housed in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains part of the permanent collection. Scholarly attention to van Lint's oeuvre situates this painting within the broader context of Baroque portraiture, emphasizing the artist's role in bridging Counter-Reformation devotional imagery and emerging secular portrait traditions in the Southern Netherlands.

Legacy

The painting has been cited in art historical surveys as an early example of 17th-century portraiture that blends realism with allegorical detail, influencing later portraitists who sought to combine likeness with moralizing symbolism. Its composition, featuring a young girl accompanied by a dog and a toy rattle, was referenced in 19th-century treatises on child portraiture as a model for integrating narrative elements into private commissions. The work's provenance in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp has contributed to its reputation as a representative piece of Flemish Baroque portraiture, frequently included in exhibitions on Baroque portraiture and cited in scholarly articles on gender representation in 17th-century European art.

Overview

Created in 1645 by the Flemish artist Pieter van Lint, this oil painting presents a young child seated on a richly colored rug. The figure is rendered in a white dress with delicate lace, holding a small rattle while a diminutive white dog rests beside her. The composition is set against a darkened backdrop that recedes into shadow, emphasizing the intimate encounter between the child and her animal companion.

Portrait of a girl
Portrait of a girl, Paulus Moreelse

Artist & collection

Portrait of Pieter van Lint

Artist

Pieter van Lint

Pieter van Lint or Peter van Lint (1609–1690) was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and designer of tapestries.

Reviews

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Portrait of a Girl?

Portrait of a Girl was painted by Pieter van Lint in 1645.

Where can I see Portrait of a Girl?

Portrait of a Girl is held by Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

What movement is Portrait of a Girl?

Portrait of a Girl is associated with Flemish Baroque painting.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a Girl?

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