Artwork
Portrait of Maria Trip
Portrait of Maria Trip is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
This painting is a portrait of Maria Trip. It was made by Rembrandt in 1639.
The portrait is an example of Dutch Golden Age painting. It is now in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, which suggests it is a significant work from that time.
To learn more about the style and techniques used in this portrait, look up the artist: Rembrandt.
Overview
Rembrandt’s oil on panel portrait of Maria Trip, dated around 1639, measures roughly 42 by 32 inches. The work is held in the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age’s portraiture tradition.
Subject & Meaning
The half‑length figure presents a young woman leaning slightly left, her gaze directed toward the viewer. She holds a fan on a stone balustrade, her uncovered brown hair styled in ringlets, and is adorned with a black silk gown trimmed with rosettes, a triple lace collar, and abundant pearls on ears, neck, bosom, and wrists, suggesting wealth and status.
Technique & Style
Executed on a cedar panel, the painting shows Rembrandt’s handling of light, with daylight illuminating the figure from the front and a dark curtain behind. Visible corrections on the lower edge reveal an earlier composition that included a table and larger sleeve buttons, indicating a dynamic creative process.
History & Provenance
Documented by Hofstede de Groot in 1915, the portrait was catalogued under several references (Bode 19, Dut. 283, etc.). A preparatory pen sketch survives in the British Museum, and the work was later etched by L. Flameng for the Gazette des Beaux‑Arts. It has been cited in multiple 19th‑century art histories.
Context
The inclusion of a caryatid in the recessed background and the luxurious accessories reflect contemporary Dutch tastes for classical motifs and display of affluence. Such elements situate the portrait within the social and artistic conventions of mid‑17th‑century Amsterdam.
Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
