Who painted Woman Leaning over a Lower Door?

Woman Leaning over a Lower Door was painted by Cornelis Ploos van Amstel in 1761.

Where can I see Woman Leaning over a Lower Door?

Woman Leaning over a Lower Door is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Woman Leaning over a Lower Door?

Woman Leaning over a Lower Door is associated with Romanticism.

Can I buy a print of Woman Leaning over a Lower Door?

Museum-quality prints of Woman Leaning over a Lower Door are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Woman Leaning over a Lower Door

Cornelis Ploos van Amstel , 1761

Woman Leaning over a Lower Door is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Cornelis Ploos van Amstel. It dates from 1761 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

Inscription: Inscribed:verso along bottom in graphite: Rembrants .del. Ploos van Amstel. fecit .1763.
Markings: Marked:verso: artist's mark (Eusman 4)

About this work

Overview

Cornelis Ploos van Amstel’s 1761 print titled Woman Leaning over a Lower Door is executed as an etching combined with roulette texture, rendered in brown ink on laid paper. The work measures a modest size typical of the artist’s intimate studies and is catalogued as a single-sheet print rather than a series.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a solitary female figure seen from behind as she inclines toward a low doorway. She is clothed in a loosely draped coat and a hat, her posture suggesting a moment of tension or anticipation. Beyond the threshold a plain wall is visible, marked only by a small nail or hook, emphasizing the quiet domestic setting.

Technique & Style

Ploos van Amstel employed swift, gestural lines to convey the figure’s movement, allowing the ink’s brown tone to create a warm, slightly uneven surface. The addition of roulette, a stippling tool, adds texture to the background and enhances the sense of depth, while the etched lines retain a sketch-like immediacy characteristic of his late‑Baroque approach.

History & Provenance

Created in the mid‑18th century, the print reflects the artist’s interest in everyday scenes and his experimentation with mixed intaglio methods. It entered public collections through 19th‑century acquisitions of Dutch prints, and today it is held by several European museums that specialize in graphic arts, illustrating the continued scholarly interest in Ploos van Amstel’s oeuvre.