Portrait of a Young Woman (van der Weyden)

Portrait of a Young Woman

Artist	Rogier van der Weyden
Year	Circa 1440–1445 ^[1]
Type	Drawing, silverpoint on ivory-coloured prepared paper
Dimensions	16.7 cm × 11.7 cm (6.6 in × 4.6 in)
Location	British Museum
Accession	PD 1874-8-8-2266
Website	Museum page

Portrait of a Young Woman is a drawing by the Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden. It depicts a young woman wearing a headscarf pinned to her hair and has been variously dated as c. 1430s and c. 1440 - 1445.^[1] The identity of the woman has not been established, nor her social class. The drawing is presumably a study for a painted portrait now lost, but likely to have been similar to the Portrait of a Woman in Berlin.^[2]

Description

The drawing is worked in silverpoint on ivory-coloured prepared paper. On the reverse is a 17th-century (or possibly earlier) inscription "Ruggero di Bruselle/1460" (i.e. "Roger of Brussels 1460"), which suggests it was already connected with van der Weyden from an early date. The workmanship is of top quality, the modelling subtly worked to suggest a three-dimensional sculptural effect.^[3]

The sitter is presented in three-quarter view and appears lively and direct. Her clothing gives no real clue about her status. Campbell and van der Stock remark that on the one hand the relatively flat cap suggests a middle-class background, while on the other hand the fur-lined collar suggests the upper-class.^[3]

References

1 2 Campbell & Van der Stock, p. 336
↑ Campbell (2004) p. 56
1 2 Campbell & Van der Stock, p. 335-6

Bibliography

Campbell, Lorne. Van der Weyden. London: Chaucer Press, 2004. ISBN 1-904449-24-7
Campbell, Lorne & Van der Stock, Jan. Rogier van der Weyden: 1400–1464. Master of Passions. Davidsfonds, Leuven, 2009. ISBN 978-90-8526-105-6

Rogier van der Weyden

Single religious works	Virgin and Child Enthroned (c. 1430–32) The Madonna Standing (c. 1430–32) The Magdalen Reading (fragment, c. 1435–38) Durán Madonna (c. 1435–38) The Descent from the Cross (c. 1435–38) Saint Luke Drawing the Virgin (c. 1435–40) The Dream of Pope Sergius (c. late 1430s) Christ on the Cross with Mary and St John (c. 1440) Pietà (c. 1441) Virgin and Child (c. 1460) Lamentation of Christ (c. 1460–63) Medici Madonna (c. 1460–64)

Portraits	Portrait of a Woman (c. 1435) Portrait of a Man (c. 1440) Portrait of a Young Woman (c. 1440–45) Portrait of Isabella of Portugal (c. 1445–50) Portrait of Philip the Good (after 1450) Portrait of Charles the Bold (1460) Portrait of Antoine, 'Grand Bâtard' of Burgundy (c. 1460) Portrait of Francesco d'Este (c. 1460) Portrait of a Lady (c. 1460) Portrait of John I, Duke of Cleves (14??)

Diptychs	Crucifixion Diptych (c. 1464–65) Diptych of Philip de Croÿ with The Virgin and Child (c. 1460)

Triptychs	Annunciation Triptych (c. 1434) Miraflores Altarpiece (c. 1442–45) Seven Sacraments Altarpiece (c. 1448) Beaune Altarpiece (c. 1445–50) The Braque Triptych (c. 1452) Saint Columba altarpiece (c. 1455) Altar of Saint John (c. 1455) Nativity Triptych (1460s)

Civic	The Justice of Trajan and Herkinbald (c. 1450)

Miniature	Jean Wauquelin presenting his 'Chroniques de Hainaut' to Philip the Good (1447–1448)

Embroidery	Fragments of a Cope with the Seven Sacraments

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, August 18, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.