Who painted Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain?

Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain was painted by Adriaen van der Werff in 1698.

Where can I see Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain?

Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain is held by Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

What movement is Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain?

Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain

Adriaen van der Werff , 1698

Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Adriaen van der Werff. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

About this work

Overview

Adriaen van der Werff’s oil painting *Portrait of a Lady by a Fountain* was executed in 1698, near the height of the Dutch Golden Age. The work now belongs to the collection of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. It presents a solitary female figure in an intimate interior, rendered with the polished finish characteristic of van der Werff’s late‑seventeenth‑century output.

Subject & Meaning

The composition shows a woman in a blue gown trimmed with a white shawl, her left arm resting on a modest wooden table while she gazes to her right. Though no narrative is supplied, the setting beside a fountain and the calm demeanor suggest an idealized portrait of elegance, perhaps intended to convey the sitter’s refinement and poise.

Technique & Style

Van der Werff employs a refined chiaroscuro, allowing a soft light from the left to illuminate the folds of the dress and the sitter’s face against a darkened background. The meticulous handling of fabric, the delicate rendering of hair in an updo, and the smooth, almost enamel‑like surface reflect the artist’s mastery of oil and his preference for polished, idealized realism.

History & Provenance

Created during a period when van der Werff was in demand among aristocratic patrons, the painting later entered the collection of the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Its provenance before acquisition by the museum is not fully documented, but the work’s presence in a public institution underscores its continued relevance as an example of late Dutch portraiture.