Portrait of a Woman Gm-00081201

Jan Mytens (Dutch, about 1614–1670) Standing before a wooded landscape, an unknown woman looks out at the viewer while plucking a sprig from a fruit tree. Her pale violet silk dress that shimmers where it catches the light, her elaborately styled hair, and the pearls adorning her hair, ears, and neck identify her as a woman of status.

Jan Mytens specialized in portraiture in The Hague, Netherlands, where he enjoyed the patronage of the members of the highest level of society, including the royal court. As in this painting, he often depicted his elegant sitters in half-length standing before idyllic landscapes.