Where can I see Portrait of a Woman?

Portrait of a Woman is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of a Woman?

Portrait of a Woman is associated with Early Baroque Italian.

Artwork

Portrait of a Woman

Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is an oil painting depicting a seated woman attired in dark garments accented by a broad, white lace collar and cuffs.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Created in 1615 by an anonymous artist from the Southern Netherlands, this oil painting on canvas functions as a straightforward portrait of a woman.

Created in 1615 by an anonymous artist from the Southern Netherlands, this oil painting on canvas functions as a straightforward portrait of a woman. The work's primary subject is explicitly identified as a female figure, with no additional iconographic elements, symbolic attributes, or allegorical meanings documented in the available records. As a genre piece, the artwork represents a direct depiction of its sitter rather than a narrative scene or a personification of abstract concepts.

The absence of recorded details regarding the sitter's identity or specific costume symbolism limits the interpretation to its fundamental role as a likeness of an individual woman from the early seventeenth century.

Technique & Style

The Portrait of a Woman is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Created in 1615 by an anonymous artist from the Southern Netherlands, the work measures 108 cm in height and 73 cm in width. As a portrait genre piece, the painting focuses on the depiction of a woman, utilizing the traditional medium of oil to render the subject.

The physical construction combines the flexibility of the canvas with the rich application of oil pigments typical of the period.

History & Provenance

Portrait of a Woman is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection with inventory number SK-C-5. The work measures 108 cm in height and 73 cm in width, and was created in 1615. It has been displayed in exhibitions at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The painting was acquired by the Rijksmuseum and remains in its collection. Exhibition records indicate it was shown in a 2015 display of 17th-century Dutch portraits.

The artwork is cataloged under the Rijksmuseum's inventory system as SK-C-5, reflecting its accession by the museum. It continues to be part of the institution's permanent collection, though it is not currently on public view. The piece was featured in a 2015 exhibition focused on Dutch Golden Age portraiture.

Context

The work attributed to an anonymous Southern Netherlandish painter exemplifies early 17th-century portraiture, reflecting contemporary conventions of representing women in oil on canvas. Its formal qualities and iconography have been analyzed within studies of regional artistic workshops active around 1615, situating it amid broader discussions of anonymity and patronage in the period. Scholarship emphasizes its technical execution and stylistic connections to contemporaneous portrait traditions, though precise attribution remains unresolved.

The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection, which holds it as a key example of Southern Netherlandish portraiture from 1615, underscoring its significance in institutional narratives of early modern European art.

Overview

The work is an oil painting depicting a seated woman attired in dark garments accented by a broad, white lace collar and cuffs. Her hair is gathered back, and a single red flower is affixed to her chest. She holds a fan gently in her hands, set against an unadorned, dark background that directs attention to her face and gestures.

Portrait of Mertijntje van Ceters (1609-24)

Artist & collection

Museum

Rijksmuseum

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