A Lady with Gloves

Summary

The identity of this young woman is unknown, but the portrait has been firmly attributed to the Dutch painter Abraham Liedts and dated on the basis of comparison with other works, and in view of the sitter's costume and jewellery, to the early 1650s. Liedts worked within the portrait tradition of Hoorn. Although not now widely known, he was one of the top two portraitists in the Hoorn region in his time, alongside the more prolific and better-known Albertsz. Rotius, or Rootius (ca. 1615-1674). The sitter wears a lace-trimmed cap stretched over an oorijzer (Dutch for ‘ear iron'), which was a metal frame fixed in place with decorative pins, visible at her temples. These caps were typically worn by women in the Northern Netherlands and indicated high status. The elaborate, tasselled collar, of a type often seen during the first half of the 1650s, is painted by Liedts with great accuracy and skill. Her captivating gaze and dark, velvety dress give her a strong physical presence, yet she is portrayed as demure, her hands neatly positioned close to her body and her hair well concealed in accordance with decorum. This portrait may commemorate a marriage - gloves like the pair she holds were a common wedding gift, while her pose (turned slightly to her right) suggests a possible accompanying portrait of her husband, traditionally placed on the left.

Display Label

A Lady with Gloves 1650-55 Abraham Liedts 1604/06-68 Oil on canvas The identity of this woman is unknown, but her costume and jewellery suggest she was from North Holland. She wears a lace-trimmed cap stretched over a metal frame called an oorijzer that is fixed in place with the decorative pins visible at her temples. Liedts has painted the fine lace edges of her collar and the dainty bows with great accuracy and skill. This portrait may commemorate a marriage - gloves like the pair she holds were a common wedding gift. The portrait was only recently attributed to Abraham Liedts. Although nearly forgotten today, he was one of the leading portraitists of Hoorn, a vibrant harbour town north of Amsterdam. George Beatson Blair bequest 1947.143