Artwork
Courtesan by Jacob Adriaensz. Backer, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Courtesan by Jacob Adriaensz. Backer, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Adriaensz Backer. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art. Courtesan is a 1630 oil painting by Jacob Adriaensz.
About this work
Overview
Courtesan is a 1630 oil painting by Jacob Adriaensz. Backer, a Dutch Golden Age artist known for his portraits and scenes from everyday life.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a woman, likely a courtesan, holding a gold coin and dressed in a green gown with a white lace collar. Her exposed chest and gentle expression suggest a nuanced portrayal of a figure associated with the social and cultural life of the time.
Technique & Style
Backer's realistic style is evident in the detailed rendering of the woman's clothing and the coin. The use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and volume, reflecting the artist's skillful handling of light and shadow.
Context
Courtesan is a product of the Dutch Golden Age, a period of rich artistic output in the Netherlands. The painting's genre scene and attention to detail reflect the cultural and artistic values of the time.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacob Adriaensz Backer (1608 – 27 August 1651) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. He produced about 140 paintings in twenty years, including portraits, religious subjects, and mythological paintings. In his style, he was…
Old Woman in an Armchair
Portrait of an Old Woman
The regents of the Nieuwe Zijds institute for the outdoor relief of the poor, Amsterdam, ca 1650
Officers and other Civic Guardsmen of the V District in Amsterdam under the command of Captain Cornelis de Graeff and Lieutenant Hendrick Lauwrensz
The Garden of Eden
The superintendents of the Collegium Medicum in Amsterdam
Portrait of a man in armor (self-portrait)
Portrait of Daniel Nellius, elder of the Remonstrant church and sampling official of Alkmaar
