Portrait of an Artist in Her Studio

Most likely a self-portrait, this painting is part of a long tradition of artists presenting themselves in an idealized version of their studios. The artist presents herself as an elegant figure, seated on an upholstered chair in a fancy dress, working in a neatly ordered studio. An equally elegant young man (who may be her son) stands behind her, looking at the portrait in progress on the easel. Details like the dog playing in the studio and the exquisitely rendered lace and satin of the artist's dress suggest this work's creator was highly influenced by such Dutch seventeenth-century painters as Gerard Ter Borch and Gabriel Metsu.