Portret van een jonge vrouw met een kapje 1618 - 1651

Curator: Let’s turn our attention to “Portret van een jonge vrouw met een kapje,” or “Portrait of a Young Woman with a Bonnet,” a pencil drawing from the 17th century, attributed to Jacob Backer, currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. What are your initial impressions? Editor: It's remarkably gentle. The soft, muted tones of the pencil lend a quiet grace to the young woman’s features. The artist's rendering is wonderfully tactile—I want to reach out and touch the fabric of her cap. Curator: Indeed. Backer, working in the Dutch Golden Age, operated within a vibrant market for portraiture. Depictions of women, especially those of the rising merchant class, were increasingly common. They reflected not just personal likeness, but also aspirations of social standing. Editor: You can discern a hint of this ambition simply through the control of light and shadow. Notice how the light delicately grazes her cheek and brow, creating volume and depth, particularly around the eyes, drawing our gaze to her subtly enigmatic expression. Curator: Her “enigmatic expression” may reflect societal constraints placed upon women at the time. While prosperous, Dutch society still held rigid expectations. Women were often symbols of domesticity, piety, and order. How do you think Backer negotiates this expectation in the portrait? Editor: Through simplicity, perhaps? There are no overt signs of wealth, just an intimate and close study of human form and personality. The drawing has captured a kind of delicate balance between vulnerability and reserve. Curator: Absolutely. While Backer clearly aims to depict the subject realistically, the formal elements seem designed to portray not just what she looked like but the values she represented: modesty, diligence, perhaps even intelligence peeking through the lines. Editor: It’s truly fascinating how Backer could infuse so much subtle complexity into a seemingly simple drawing. I see so much detail even in its simplicity. Curator: Ultimately, this work offers a window into the aspirations and social codes that shaped women’s identities in 17th-century Holland, while subtly hinting at individual character within those confines.