Portrait of a Woman 1603 - 1651

This is Cornelis de Vos's "Portrait of a Woman," painted with oils on canvas. At first glance, the materials seem straightforward, but look closer at how de Vos has rendered the textures of wealth. The stiff, white ruff is particularly impressive. Linen was a valuable commodity in the 17th century, made from flax through labor-intensive processes of retting, scutching, and heckling. Consider also the pearl necklace, the gold embroidery on the sleeves, and the elaborate fan. These materials and the craft that went into them testify to global trade networks and the skilled labor needed to extract and transform raw materials into finished luxury goods. De Vos isn't just painting a portrait, he's capturing the material culture of a privileged class. By focusing on the textures and surfaces of these objects, we can appreciate the complex economic and social systems that made them possible. It prompts us to consider the immense amount of work involved in producing such displays of affluence.