Artwork
Portret van een jonge vrouw

Portret van een jonge vrouw is an ivory painting. It dates from 1793 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. The work is an ivory‑painted portrait of a young woman rendered against a warm beige backdrop.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work portrays an unidentified young woman, rendered as an ivory miniature portrait dating to 1785 and made in France.
The work portrays an unidentified young woman, rendered as an ivory miniature portrait dating to 1785 and made in France. As a portrait, its primary meaning lies in the representation of the sitter’s likeness, consistent with the function of late‑18th‑century miniature portraits to record personal identity and status. No specific iconographic attributes or symbolic elements are described in the sources.
Technique & Style
Created in 1785 in France, Portret van een jonge vrouw is executed on an ivory support, a material choice that classifies the work within the tradition of miniature painting. The piece measures 5.8 cm in height and 4.8 cm in width, dimensions typical for intimate portrait formats of the era. Stylistically, it functions as an anonymous portrait depicting a woman, utilizing the smooth, luminous qualities of ivory to define the subject's features.
The work remains in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where its small scale and material suggest a focus on delicate handling and fine detail characteristic of late 18th-century French portraiture on ivory.
History & Provenance
The work titled Portret van een jonge vrouw is an oil on ivory painting created in France in 1785. It entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains on display. The piece was produced by an anonymous artist and is classified as a portrait.
The work measures 5.8 centimeters in height and 4.8 centimeters in width. It was made in France and depicts a woman. It was created in 1785 and is part of the Rijksmuseum collection.
Portret van een jonge vrouw is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is located. The work, an anonymous portrait painted in 1785 on ivory in France, forms part of the museum's holdings.
No specific inventory or accession number, and no exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.
Overview
The work is an ivory‑painted portrait of a young woman rendered against a warm beige backdrop. She is presented in a white, low‑cut dress, her hair pulled back and accented with pearls. The composition places her right hand on her chest while her left arm, bent at the elbow, holds a white cloth, and her gaze is turned slightly to the right.
Artist & collection










