Artwork
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Young Woman is an unspecified painting by Jacob Adriaensz Backer. It dates from 1638 and is held in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Portrait of a Young Woman, painted in 1638 by Jacob Adriaensz Backer, a prominent Dutch Golden Age painter, is a characteristic example of his portraiture work. The piece is part of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's collection.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is a young woman dressed in a dark, subtly patterned dress adorned with white lace trim, collar, and cuffs, and a lace cap. Her clasped hands, one bearing a ring, and her serious, distant gaze convey a sense of solemnity and introspection.
Technique & Style
Backer employs chiaroscuro to create depth and volume, drawing the viewer's focus to the subject against a dark background. His style, influenced by Wybrand de Geest, Rubens, and Abraham Bloemaert, is evident in the painting's composition and use of light.
History & Provenance
Created in 1638, the painting's history prior to its acquisition by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is not detailed here. It represents a mid-period work by Backer, reflecting his established style during the Dutch Golden Age.
Context
As a product of the Dutch Golden Age, the portrait reflects the era's emphasis on realism and the growing demand for secular art, including portraiture of individuals not necessarily of noble birth.
Legacy
While specific impact of *Portrait of a Young Woman* on the broader art historical canon is not outlined, it contributes to the understanding of Backer's contribution to Dutch Golden Age portraiture and the evolution of chiaroscuro techniques in 17th-century Dutch painting.
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
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Young Woman with a Fan
Portrait of Elisabeth Pietersdr Kessels (1640-1717)
Elisabeth van Kessel (1640-1717). Wife of Willem Jacobsz Baert
Portrait of Oopjen Coppit
Portrait of a Young Girl
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of Maria Trip
Portrait of a Woman with Gloves
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Wife
Portrait of a Young Woman