Portrait of a Woman, Probably Susanna Lunden (Susanna Fourment, 1599–1628)

This portrait of Susanna Fourment (1599-1628), painted around 1625-27 and known as the 'Straw Hat' portrait despite its actual felt construction, has become one of the most admired portraits in European painting and a touchstone for technical discussions of light in Baroque portraiture. The sitter is almost certainly Susanna Fourment, older sister of Hélène who would become Rubens's second wife, and the portrait may date from the period when Rubens was first becoming acquainted with the Fourment family. The technical achievement is in the rendering of natural sunlight falling on the young woman's face while the hat's shadow creates a second light zone — Rubens paints both the lit and shadowed areas of the face with the same luminous quality, demonstrating his mastery of the challenge that natural light posed to conventional chiaroscuro. When Rubens showed this portrait to Velázquez during the Spanish artist's visit to Antwerp in 1628, the impact on Velázquez's subsequent treatment of light in portraiture was immediate and lasting — a direct chain of influence that connects this canvas to the greatest Spanish portrait tradition.

The portrait is a masterclass in rendering outdoor light on flesh, with subtle warm-cool transitions across the face. The hat creates dramatic shadows that frame the luminous features, and Rubens's fluid brushwork captures the immediacy of a sunlit encounter.

This portrait has been extensively studied and is generally in excellent condition. The luminous flesh painting and lively brushwork are well-preserved. Some darkening in the background has occurred. The painting's identification and dating have been subjects of scholarly debate, with conservation examination providing technical evidence.