Artwork
Woman with a Pink

Woman with a Pink is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt van Rijn. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
While the specific identity of the sitter is not detailed in the available records, the inclusion of the flower serves as a central iconographic element.
Created in 1660, this oil painting by Rembrandt functions as a portrait depicting a female figure holding a Dianthus caryophyllus, commonly known as a pink or carnation. The work's classification as a pendant suggests it was originally conceived to accompany another canvas, likely forming a paired representation of a couple or specific individuals. While the specific identity of the sitter is not detailed in the available records, the inclusion of the flower serves as a central iconographic element.
In seventeenth-century Dutch portraiture, such floral attributes often carried symbolic weight regarding betrothal, fidelity, or social status, though the available sources confirm only the visual presence of the woman and the flower rather than interpreting their specific allegorical meaning.
Technique & Style
The work, titled Woman with a Pink, is an oil painting executed on canvas in 1660. According to the catalog entry, the painting measures approximately 92.1 cm in height and 74.6 cm in width. It belongs to the portrait genre and functions as a pendant piece within Rembrandt's oeuvre, depicting a woman holding a Dianthus caryophyllus (pink) flower.
The subject is rendered with the naturalistic attention to texture and light characteristic of the artist's later portraiture, while the composition emphasizes the delicate interplay between the sitter's attire and the floral motif. The painting is presently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, having passed through the collections of Jean d'Oultremont and the dealer Charles Sedelmeyer before entering the collection of Benjamin Altman.
History & Provenance
Rembrandt painted Woman with a Pink in 1660, an oil-on-canvas portrait measuring 92.1 × 74.6 cm. The work was conceived as a pendant piece, likely intended to complement another portrait. Its ownership passed from Jean d'Oultremont through the dealer Charles Sedelmeyer to the collector Benjamin Altman, whose bequest brought it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains. The available sources do not record a specific accession number or a detailed exhibition history for the work.
Legacy
Woman with a Pink, painted by Rembrandt in 1660, passed through the collections of Jean d'Oultremont, Charles Sedelmeyer, and Benjamin Altman before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its provenance among prominent nineteenth-century collectors and its place in the museum's permanent displays underscore its standing as a notable example of Rembrandt's late portraiture, frequently included in studies of Dutch Golden Age painting.
Overview
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn painted "Woman with a Pink" in 1660 using oil paint. This portrait features a woman holding a pink carnation. It represents a facet of Rembrandt's extensive artistic production during the Dutch Golden Age, which encompassed a wide range of paintings, etchings, and drawings. The work exemplifies his approach to portraiture, often integrating elements beyond conventional depictions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.


















