17th Century Dutch School Portrait Of Young Woman

A very elaborate, museum quality 17th century Dutch oil on panel depicting a young woman circa 1630 by an artist from the circle of Paulus Moreelse. The enigmatic sitter is depicted at mid-length wearing a heavily embroidered robe and a wide winged lace collar. Her shimmering silk dress is heavily embroidered with gold and silver threads and her sleeves are puffy and trimmed with bows. Other lavish emblems of her wealth include a double chain pearl necklace, a gold chain and the jeweled brooch at her chest. Her costume and expensive accessories speak of a woman at the top of Dutch society. In direct contrast to this ostentatious outward display of wealth is the sitter in this adornment. Her hair is worn loosely without adornment and on her sensitively rendered face is a knowing expression. He is a person who continues to speak to us nearly four hundred years after he was painted. Paulus Moreelse (1571 - 1638). Paulus Moreelse was one of the most prominent portrait painters in the city of Utrecht, receiving commissions from the great and good across the Dutch Republic. He was a pupil of the Delft portrait painter Michiel Jansz. van Miereveld, whose influence can be seen in Moreelse's attention to detail and realistic approach to the depiction of his models. Early in his career, Moreelse traveled to Italy, where he was said to have been exhibited and copied from the Italian greats. In 1596 he was back in Utrecht and he became a member of the guild of saddlers - a union of painters - and in 1611, together with Abraham Bloemaert, he was a founding member of a new guild of artists, the "St. Lucas Gilde'. Moreelse was a dedicated citizen of Utrecht, active in the city's politics and urban development; an accomplished architect, he was responsible for the design of several important buildings in his native Utrecht, including the Cathatijnepoort (1626, demolished around 1850) and the Vleeshuis on Voorstraat from 1637 (still extant). High resolution images on request. Worldwide shipping available. Canvas: 27" x 21" / 69cm x 54cm. Frame: 35" x 29" / 89cm x 74cm.