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Portrait of a Lady by Bartholomeus van der Helst

Bartholomeus van der Helst · 1649-01-01

Portrait of a Lady by Bartholomeus van der Helst (1649) hangs at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. At first glance it is a fine Dutch Golden Age portrait. Dark gown, white collar, a composed expression. Look closer at her hands.

In one hand she holds a hand fan, an accessory for cooling and discreet signaling in polite society. In the other she holds a vlieger, a type of kite. The kite is the surprise: a playful, personal object in an otherwise formal portrait.

Van der Helst was the favored portraitist of Amsterdam's wealthiest merchants and the Stadtholder's court. His sitters paid to be painted with the objects that defined them.

A kite in a formal portrait is an unusual choice. Three centuries later, we can only guess what it meant to her.

Details

Her gaze meets the painter directly.
Her gaze meets the painter directly.
One hand rests on a hand fan.
One hand rests on a hand fan.
The other holds a kite. A vlieger.
The other holds a kite. A vlieger.
The painter worked for the Stadtholder's court.
The painter worked for the Stadtholder's court.
Transcript

1649. The height of the Dutch Golden Age. Her gaze meets the painter directly. One hand rests on a hand fan. The other holds a kite. A vlieger. The painter worked for the Stadtholder's court. Today it hangs in the Alte Pinakothek.