Johanna van Rijswijk (b. 1715), Wife of Jan Hendrik van Rijswijk

Painted in 1754 by Isaac Lodewijk la Fargue van Nieuwland, this half-length portrait depicts Johanna van Rijswijk, wife of Jan Hendrik van Rijswijk.

Painted in 1754 by Isaac Lodewijk la Fargue van Nieuwland, this half-length portrait depicts Johanna van Rijswijk, wife of Jan Hendrik van Rijswijk. The sitter is presented against a neutral, dark background, wearing a pale blue silk dress with a white lace fichu and a powdered white wig typical of mid-eighteenth-century Dutch fashion. She holds a closed black fan in her right hand, resting it against her waist, while her left hand remains obscured. Her gaze meets the viewer directly with a composed, steady expression. The work was executed as a pendant to a portrait of her husband, Jan Hendrik, painted by the same artist in the same year. These paired portraits were likely commissioned to celebrate their marriage or to document their status as a couple within the Dutch merchant class. La Fargue van Nieuwland, known for his precise yet restrained portraiture, captures the sitter with a quiet dignity, emphasizing texture in the fabrics and the soft modeling of the face. The painting reflects the conventions of Dutch portraiture of the period, balancing individual likeness with formal elegance. It remains a significant example of the artist's output during his mature period in Leiden.