Artwork
Portret van een vrouw
Portret van een vrouw is an ivory painting by Jan Lodewijk Jonxis. It dates from 1833 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Jan Lodewijk Jonxis produced this intimate portrait in 1833, rendering the likeness of a woman on a small ivory support. The work is part of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, where it is displayed as an example of early‑nineteenth‑century miniature portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is presented in a refined blue dress with puffed sleeves, a white lace collar, and a delicate bonnet tied with ribbons. A simple necklace rests at her throat, and she gazes straight at the viewer, suggesting a personal connection or a desire to convey her social standing through modest yet elegant attire.
Technique & Style
Executed on ivory, the painting employs fine brushwork to capture the texture of lace and the sheen of fabric. Jonxis uses chiaroscuro—subtle contrasts of light and shadow—to model the face and give the figure a three‑dimensional presence against a uniform background, which isolates the subject and heightens the sense of immediacy.
History & Provenance
Created in 1833, the miniature entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings in the twentieth century, though the exact path of acquisition is not recorded in public sources. Its preservation on ivory reflects the period’s preference for portable, intimate portrait formats, often commissioned for private remembrance.
Artist & collection
