Artwork
Portret van een meisje
Portret van een meisje is an oil painting by the Impressionist artist Willem Witsen. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The subject of Willem Witsen’s Portret van een meisje is a young girl presented in a frontal, closely framed view.
The subject of Willem Witsen’s Portret van een meisje is a young girl presented in a frontal, closely framed view. The portrait emphasizes the sitter’s direct gaze and softly modeled face, rendered in subdued earth tones and delicate light that highlight her youth and quiet presence.
There are no overt symbols or allegorical attributes in the painting; instead, the work conveys an intimate, contemplative mood through restrained color and close cropping. As a portrait of a child in early 20th-century Amsterdam, it reflects the period’s interest in individual character and quiet realism rather than narrative or emblematic content.
Technique & Style
Willem Witsen's Portret van een meisje is an oil painting executed on a panel support, created in 1903. The work measures 26 cm in height and 21 cm in width, classifying it as a small-scale portrait. As a portrait genre piece, the painting relies on the medium of oil paint to depict a young girl, adhering to the formal conventions of early 20th-century portraiture.
The physical construction combines traditional oil techniques with a rigid panel base, characteristic of the artist's approach to intimate character studies during this period.
Legacy
The painting's enduring presence in the Rijksmuseum collection and its focus on portraiture have established it as a representative example of early 20th-century Dutch portraiture within the museum's holdings. Its depiction of a young girl aligns with the genre conventions of the period, contributing to its recognition as part of the museum's significant portrait collection.
Overview
Portret van een meisje is an oil painting created in 1903 by Willem Witsen, a Dutch artist associated with Amsterdam Impressionism. The work is a portrait of a young girl, characterized by soft, side-lit facial features, dark hair, and a calm demeanor, set against a dark background with a contrasting red flower in her hair.
History & Provenance
Completed in 1903, Portret van een meisje is part of the Rijksmuseum's collection. While Witsen's broader oeuvre includes urban and rural scenes, this piece exemplifies his approach to portraiture.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Willem Arnoldus Witsen (13 August 1860 – 13 April 1923, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter and photographer associated with the Amsterdam Impressionism movement.
Pakhuizen aan een Amsterdamse gracht op Uilenburg
Bridge over a canal in Venice
Landscape with fields
Winter Landscape
Andries van Wezel (1856–1922). Koopman te Antwerpen, legateerde in 1922 zijn schilderijenverzameling aan het Rijksmuseum
Landschap met de molen van Wijk bij Duurstede
Fluffy Flowers in a Jug
- Portrait of a girl in a red beret
Margot
Child with Brown Hair
Märta Rudbeck, the Artist
Paul Sulzberger
Portrait of a Girl – Zofia Sokołowska
Gabrielle
Juliette Quénel
Antonia Franziska Romana Wasmann, die jüngste Tochter des Künstlers
Portrait of a Young Lady
Portret de fetiță
Portrait of Margaret Millicent Fisher Prout, the Artist's Daughter