Portrait of a Lady

This is almost certainly a wedding portrait, for the pose draws attention to the ring on the finger of the unknown woman. The technique of painting the hands and the fan demonstrates the particular influence of Rembrandt, the woman’s gesture adding a degree of liveliness to an otherwise formal portrait.

Black was worn by many people in reformist Holland, and while the colour itself is severe, the fabric and the overall costume worn by the young lady is offset by white cuffs, collars and ruffs. Northern artists vied with each other to display their mastery in defining the subtle layers of black on black, with rich silk brocades, velvets and satins providing a perfect foil for the sparkling white worn at a person’s extremities. The rich gold embroidery and ornamental rosette on the woman’s bodice, or stomacher, certainly puts paid to any notion of puritan simplicity.

For artists, black and white fabrics also served as strong contrasts to flesh tones, throwing them into relief, as seen here. Feather fans on a fixed handle were popular accessories until the mid-17th century, but when trade with the East allowed the introduction of such luxuries as folding fans they quickly became de rigueur.

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