Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an unspecified painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Jacob Adriaensz Backer. It dates from 1635 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Overview
Portrait of a Lady, created by Dutch Golden Age painter Jacob Adriaensz Backer in 1635, is a portrait of a woman characterized by its calm and softly lit demeanor. The work is part of the collection at Statens Museum for Kunst.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a serene woman with pale blonde hair and light skin, dressed in a dark dress with a high white collar and a simple white cap. Her calm facial expression and gently placed hands in her lap convey a sense of quiet contemplation.
Technique & Style
Backer employed a plain dark background to focus attention on the subject. The painting showcases meticulous use of chiaroscuro, with soft lighting accentuating her facial features, collar, and hands through strategic manipulation of shadows and highlights.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1635, the work reflects Backer's portraiture expertise, influenced by Wybrand de Geest, Rubens, and Abraham Bloemaert. It is now held in the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst.
Context
Created during the Dutch Golden Age, the portrait exemplifies the period's emphasis on individual portraiture and the use of lighting techniques to evoke depth and emotion.
Legacy
As one of approximately 140 paintings by Backer, Portrait of a Lady contributes to the artist's legacy in Dutch Golden Age art, particularly in the realm of portraiture.
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
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of Susanna Pietersdr Oostdijk (b. 1597)
Portrait of a Woman in Black
Portrait of a Woman
Anna Heinz von Jaden, Gemahlin des Casanova del Monte Turris
Portrait of a Young Girl
Portrait of Catharina Jansdr. Tengnagel, wife of Andries Bicker
Portrait of a Woman