Portrait of the artist's daughter Elizabeth 1640

Jacob Jordaens painted this portrait of his daughter Elizabeth with oils on canvas. The materiality of the paint is key here: the artist has applied it in a way that allows for the suggestion of texture, without necessarily detailing every surface. Note the interplay of light and shadow in her face and clothing. Jordaens skillfully renders her curly hair and the folds of her garments, giving them a sense of volume and depth, all with just a few brushstrokes. She holds a basket. Its woven form reminds us of the many skilled hands required to make even the most commonplace objects. The pearls, the lace, the very paint from which this image is composed – all of these are testaments to a highly developed division of labor. The painting is a skillful blend of observation and artistic interpretation. It invites us to reflect on the myriad forms of making that contribute to our visual world.