Portrait of a Woman
- DATE:
- 16th century
- MATERIAL AND TECHNIQUE:
- Oil on panel
- CLASSIFICATION:
- Paintings
- DIMENSIONS:
- Panel dimensions: 22 3/4 × 18 in. (57.79 × 45.72 cm) Framed dimensions: 34 1/8 × 29 1/4 × 2 in. (86.68 × 74.3 × 5.08 cm)
- DEPARTMENT:
- European Art
- LOCATION:
- Not On View
- CREDIT LINE:
- Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Chester Dale
- COPYRIGHT:
- Image courtesy Dallas Museum of Art
- OBJECT NUMBER:
- 1963.173
General Description
Though we do not know the name of its maker or sitter, we can draw certain conclusions about this painting based on close observation. The woman’s costly attire—a fur-lined jacket, white lace ruffs, and finely woven handkerchief, and abundant jewelry—indicate she belonged to a wealthy family. At the time, viewers would have associated this display of riches with the family crest shown in the upper left corner. In 16th-century German portraiture, the sitter’s status and lineage were of primary concern; paintings like this were often used to negotiate or celebrate marriages, or to reinforce a family’s stature.
Excerpt from
DMA label copy, 2018.