Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a lady with a fan of ostrich feathers, c. 1658 by Atelier Liesjes

About "Rembrandt van Rijn, Portrait of a lady with a fan of ostrich feathers, c. 1658"

by Atelier Liesjes

About the artwork

A pale-skinned woman, dressed in a black dress and holding a full, flapping white ostrich feather, is depicted from her hips against a dark background in this vertical portrait. She has dark eyes, faintly arched eyebrows, a pale pink nose and her pink lips are parted. Light falls from the left, creating shadows under the other cheekbone and along the side of her neck. Her shoulders are covered by a transparent, white, lace-rimmed shawl tied with a bow. Her black dress also has wide, white cuffs, revealing a thick, possibly jewelled bracelet on each wrist. She wears two gold rings, one with a clear gemstone, perhaps a diamond, gold, dangling earrings and a round pendant necklace. The sumptuous white ostrich feather curves down from her right hand, which holds her other hand around her waist and holds that wrist.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Leiden, 15 July 1606 - Amsterdam, 4 October 1669) was a Dutch painter, etcher and draughtsman. He is widely considered one of the greatest painters and etchers in European art, and the most important Dutch master of the 17th century. His work belongs to the Baroque period and is visibly influenced by Caravaggism. His remarkable mastery of playing with light and dark, often using sharp contrasts (chiaroscuro) to draw the viewer into the scene, led to vivid scenes full of drama.