Portrait of a 22-Year-Old Woman 1622

Cornelis van der Voort painted this portrait in oil on canvas, sometime around the early 17th century. But what makes this painting so interesting is the way the social status is communicated through the sitter’s clothing, and particularly the lace. The elaborate ruff and cap, along with the cuffs, would have been incredibly labor-intensive to produce. Lace making was then a highly skilled craft, done by hand, often by women. The fineness of the linen thread, the complexity of the patterns, and the sheer amount of time required, all contributed to its value. So, while the portrait is of a single person, it implicitly acknowledges the many hands that contributed to her appearance. It speaks volumes about early capitalist dynamics, and the ways that wealth is both created and displayed. It is a potent reminder that even seemingly straightforward artworks can reflect complex networks of production and consumption.