Portrait of a Young Lady

Portrait of a Young Lady from 1678 by Nicolaes Maes at the Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp demonstrates his ability to capture youthful beauty within the conventions of formal Dutch portraiture. The Museum Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp houses this example of Maes's refined late portrait style, reflecting the cross-border reputation that made him sought after by collectors in the Southern Netherlands as well as Amsterdam. Maes trained with Rembrandt in Amsterdam in the early 1650s before establishing himself as an independent master. His mature portrait style absorbed Flemish elegance—producing fashionable likenesses with looser brushwork and warmer flesh tones that satisfied the demand of Amsterdam's prosperous elite. The youthful sitter is rendered with smooth, luminous flesh tones and careful attention to the fashionable costume, creating an image of elegant feminine beauty.

The youthful sitter is rendered with smooth, luminous flesh tones and careful attention to the fashionable costume. Maes's polished late technique creates an image of elegant feminine beauty.