Portrait of a Woman, Probably Maria Trip (1619-1683)

Rembrandt van Rijn

1639

oil on panel

Rijksmuseum

A woman with long, curly hair and fair skin is depicted in a dark, ornate dress. She wears a pearl necklace, earrings, and bracelets, and holds a decorative object in her right hand. The sitter is likely the 20-year-old Maria Trip. She hailed from an extremely wealthy family involved in the arms trade. Here, she displays her affluence in full regalia: she wears a collar of the finest lace, a brooch with matching earrings, and a fortune in pearls. The Chinese folding fan in her left hand was still a very rare and therefore precious accessory in 1639.