Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Portrait of a Woman
Creator: Rogier van der Weyden, painter
Description: Towards the end of the fifteenth century, Northern European artists began breaking away from the traditional profile portrait and moving towards the more sculptural three-quarter profile. This woman's costume and grooming--the eyebrows plucked thin and the hairline plucked back--indicate that she belongs to the Burgundian nobility. Her dark dress seems to disappear into the background, and the white headdress draws the viewer's gaze to her face, which has been modeled with strong attention to naturalism. The deep red belt at her waist accentuates her hands, which are folded together before her and emphasize her controlled and intelligent demeanor.
Source: WikiMedia Commons: Web Gallery of Art #25706
Rights: Public domain
Subject (See Also): Headdresses Portraits
Geographic Area: Low Countries
Century: 15
Date: ca. 1460
Related Work:
Current Location: Washington D.C., National Gallery of Art, Andrew W. Mellon Collection, 1937.1.44
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Paintings
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Panel paintings; Oil
Donor:
Height/Width/Length(cm): 34cm/25.5cm/
Inscription:
Related Resources: