Portrait of a Woman as Painter

A woman is depicted in the act of painting in this 1660 portrait at the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden, an unusual subject that records the existence of female painters in the Dutch Republic. Women artists, though rare, existed in the Netherlands—Judith Leyster and Rachel Ruysch being the most famous—and this portrait may depict a specific, identified painter or present an idealized image of feminine artistic accomplishment. Metsu was among the most gifted painters of the Dutch Golden Age's second generation, combining Rembrandt's tonal depth with Vermeer's luminosity in genre scenes of exceptional refinement.

The palette and brushes in the sitter"s hands identify her as a painter, with Metsu rendering the tools of his own trade with the precision of intimate knowledge. The composition balances the conventions of portraiture with the narrative interest of depicting a working artist. The palette is warm and characteristic of Metsu"s Amsterdam work, with the painting materials providing specific still-life details.