Portrait of a Woman

Jürgen Ovens was a German painter who studied under Rembrandt and later became court painter to the Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp. This 1650 portrait of a woman demonstrates the wide dissemination of Rembrandt's influence through his many students who carried his style across northern Europe. Ovens adapted Rembrandt's techniques to the demands of aristocratic portraiture in the German courts.

The oil on canvas shows the influence of Rembrandt's warm palette and chiaroscuro in the portrait's lighting and tonal range. The careful rendering of the sitter's features and costume combines Rembrandtesque warmth with the polish required for court portraiture.