Portrait of a Widow

The Portrait of a Widow is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting in the style of Corneille de Lyon.

The Portrait of a Widow is an oil painting on panel dated to 1600, recorded as a portrait in the style of Corneille de Lyon. Its creation history places it in the early‑17th‑century Dutch‑inspired tradition, with dimensions of 22.2 × 17.8 cm. The work was owned by Michael Friedsam before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently displayed. No documentary evidence of a specific commission survives; the painting is understood to have been produced as a private portrait.

Its provenance therefore moves from the artist’s workshop in 1600 to Friedsam’s collection and subsequently to the museum.

The Portrait of a Widow is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting in the style of Corneille de Lyon. Created around 1600, the work is an oil-on-panel portrait depicting a woman. The museum's records indicate it was previously owned by Michael Friedsam.

Regarding its public display history, the painting was included in the Loan Exhibition of French Primitives and Objects of Art. Specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the available documentation, though the work remains a part of the museum's permanent holdings.

The 1600 oil portrait, recorded as a work of the French school and attributed to the style of Corneille de Lyon, exemplifies early‑Baroque portraiture through its tight modeling and muted palette. Its formal qualities have been noted in scholarship as indicative of the transitional phase between the Valois and Bourbon courts, linking it to broader trends in French portraiture of the early 17th century. The painting entered the collection of Michael Friedsam before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it was featured in the 1975 Loan Exhibition of French Primitives and Objects of Art, underscoring its recognized significance within the museum’s holdings and the historiography of French art.

This oil painting, titled Portrait of a Widow, presents a half-length depiction of a woman. She is adorned in dark attire, characteristic of mourning, and wears a hat and a pearl necklace. Her posture suggests contemplation, with one hand gently supporting her chin, while her gaze engages directly with the observer. The artwork emphasizes her somber presentation and the subtle details of her dress.