Portrait of a Lady

Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen's Portrait of a Lady from around 1630 represents the refined portrait style of this Anglo-Dutch painter who worked in both England and the Netherlands. Janssens was the leading portrait painter in England before the arrival of Anthony van Dyck in 1632, after which he returned to the Netherlands. His intimate, carefully observed portraits served the English gentry with dignified likenesses in the Dutch tradition.

Janssens' oil-on-copper portrait demonstrates his characteristic smooth, precise technique with luminous flesh tones enhanced by the copper support. The refined, enamel-like surface and careful rendering of the lace collar reflect the Dutch portrait tradition's emphasis on meticulous craftsmanship.