Portrait of a Woman

This is one of three portraits of women by Bol inscribed 1642, the earliest known date on paintings by him. The Dordrecht artist studied with Rembrandt about 1636–41, and then became one of Amsterdam’s most successful portraitists. Despite the rich display of lace and jewelry in this picture its most appealing aspect is the sitter’s sense of character, as in Rembrandt’s portraits of about the same time.