To Each his Own

To Each His Own by Michaelina Wautier, painted around 1650, is a characteristic work by this remarkable Brussels-based painter who was one of the most accomplished women artists of the seventeenth century. Wautier worked across genres including portraits, history paintings, and genre scenes, achieving a level of recognition unusual for women artists of the period. The Baroque era (c.1600-1750) embraced dramatic chiaroscuro, dynamic composition, and emotional intensity to convey religious truth and dynastic power.

The painting demonstrates Wautier's confident technique and rich palette, with solid modeling of figures and attention to textures of costume and accessories that reflects her training in the Flemish tradition.