Portrait of a Woman 1650 - 1660

This is Nicolaes Maes’s “Portrait of a Woman,” an oil on canvas of indeterminate date, located here at the Art Institute of Chicago. The muted palette immediately strikes us, dominated by blacks, whites, and greys. The composition is simple: the sitter is positioned centrally, her gaze meeting ours directly. Maes employs stark contrasts to sculpt the form of the sitter. Notice how the severe black of her dress and head covering frame the delicate white collar and her face. These contrasts serve to highlight her features, lending her a sense of presence and gravitas. The texture here is particularly interesting. Maes’s brushwork is smooth and controlled, giving the surface a subtle sheen. In this work, Maes uses formal elements to engage with broader societal representations of age, gender, and status. The portrait invites ongoing interpretation, challenging us to consider the sitter's life and the values of her time.