Artwork
Portrait of a woman, probably Jacobmina de Grebber (? -1666)
Portrait of a woman, probably Jacobmina de Grebber (? -1666) is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Anthonie Palamedesz. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
An oil portrait executed in 1652 by the Dutch painter Anthonie Palamedesz presents a seated woman, identified as Jacobmina de Grebber (d. 1666). The work belongs to the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is displayed among the museum’s 17th‑century Dutch holdings.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is shown in a modest dark dress accented by a prominent white ruff and a simple cap. Her posture, with one hand resting on the chair’s back, conveys a calm, restrained demeanor typical of middle‑class portraiture of the period, emphasizing personal virtue over ostentatious display.
Technique & Style
Palamedesz employs a restrained palette and careful modeling of light, allowing the illumination to fall on the face and hands while the background recedes into darkness. The fabric’s folds are rendered with fine brushwork, and the lace‑trimmed sleeves demonstrate the artist’s attention to texture within a largely monochrome setting.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑17th century, the portrait entered the Rijksmuseum’s collection through acquisition policies that focused on Dutch Golden Age works. Its attribution to Palamedesz and identification of the sitter have been confirmed by museum curators based on stylistic analysis and archival records linking the de Grebber family to the artist.
Context
The painting reflects the Dutch Republic’s cultural climate in the 1650s, when portraiture served both as a record of family lineage and as a modest expression of social status. The lack of jewelry and the plain backdrop align with contemporary values that prized sobriety and moral rectitude.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Anthonie Palamedesz., also Antonie Palamedesz, birth name Antonius Stevens, was a Dutch portrait and genre painter.
