Loading...Judith Leyster (Haarlem, 1609 – Heemstede, 1660)
Portrait of an unknown woman
1635
In 1633, Judith Leyster was the first woman to join a Dutch painters’ guild – the St Lucas Guild, Haarlem’s guild of painters. This was unprecedented in a society that was dominated by men. Leyster’s loose brushwork is reminiscent of Frans Hals’ style. She may have been employed by Frans Hals as an assistant for a while around 1630. This portrait was long thought to have been by Hals, until Judith Leyster’s signature was rediscovered: JL with a star. It’s on the chair, in the bottom right corner.
Creator
Judith Leyster (Haarlem, 1609 – Heemstede, 1660)
Title
Portrait of an unknown woman
Date
1635
Collection
Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, purchased with support from de Vereniging Rembrandt
Material
Oil paint on panel | H72.3 x W59.5 x D9.8 incl. frame