Judith Leyster, Self Portrait, oil on canvas, 74.6x65.1cm, c. 1630. National Gallery of Art, Washington
Judith Leyster
Self Portrait
Oil on canvas, 74.6 x 65.1 cm, c. 1630
One of the most well known female painters from the Dutch Golden Age, Judith Leyster (1609-1660) hailed from Haarlem, on the west coast of The Netherlands. She is most well known for her lively and character-ful genre scenes, often depicting laughing people or people playing instruments. She clearly had a special skill in evoking a fun and open atmosphere in her paintings. This is also visible in her fanatstic self portrait, where she turns to us as if she is in the middle of a conversation with us. She seems really alive in this painting, with her arm resting on the chair for just a moment, her mouth open in mid sentence. She was just 21 when she painted this portrait. An active and professional painter in her own right, Judith was mostly active before her marriage to a fellow painter. Her vibrant brush strokes remind us of Frans Hals, who was active in Haarlem at the same time and the two must have known each other. Check out the bold brush work in her red skirt, sleeve and lace work!
