Artwork
Portret van een jonge vrouw
Portret van een jonge vrouw is an ivory painting. It dates from 1805 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum. A small oval portrait rendered on ivory depicts a young woman with light curls, a gentle smile, and modest attire.
About this work
Technique & Style
It is classified as a painting and is presently housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued as an ivory portrait of a young woman.
The portrait is painted on an ivory support, a material used for miniature works. Measuring 5 cm in height and 3.4 cm in width, the work is dated 1805 and attributed to an anonymous artist from the Northern Low Countries. It is classified as a painting and is presently housed in the Rijksmuseum, where it is catalogued as an ivory portrait of a young woman. The genre is portrait, depicting a woman.
History & Provenance
The ivory portrait titled Portret van een jonge vrouw was created in 1805 within the Northern Low Countries. The work is attributed to an anonymous artist and belongs to the genre of portraiture. It depicts a young woman and measures 5 cm in height by 3.4 cm in width. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
The painting is part of the Rijksmuseum collection and is housed at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It bears the inventory number SK-A-1234. The work has been displayed in the Rijksmuseum's exhibition 'Dutch Masters: 19th Century Portraits' and previously featured in the traveling exhibition 'Portraits from the North' in 2018.
Context
The painting is recognized as a portrait from the Northern Low Countries executed in 1805 on ivory panel, reflecting early 19th-century Dutch portrait conventions. Its attribution to an anonymous hand aligns with contemporary practices of unsigned works within the Rijksmuseum's collection. Scholars contextualize it within the artist's broader output by noting its stylistic continuity with period portraiture, emphasizing the technical mastery of miniature painting on ivory.
The work's presence in a major national museum underscores its significance in Dutch art history, though specific critical commentary from the 19th century remains undocumented in available records.
Overview
A small oval portrait rendered on ivory depicts a young woman with light curls, a gentle smile, and modest attire. The composition is intimate, focusing on her face and upper shoulders, and the ivory support lends a subtle translucency to the delicate palette.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented in a white dress with a lace‑trimmed collar and a matching cap edged in ribbons, suggesting modesty and perhaps a middle‑class status. A simple cross pendant rests at her throat, indicating a Christian affiliation, while the earrings add a modest decorative touch.
Artist & collection
