Portrait of a Young Woman

Pieter Jansz. Pourbus was a Bruges painter who specialized in portraits and religious works in a precise, Flemish manner that bridged the late Gothic and Renaissance periods. This 1544 portrait of a young woman demonstrates the high standard of Bruges portraiture, which continued to thrive even as the city's commercial importance declined. Pourbus's son Frans and grandson Frans the Younger continued the family painting tradition.

The oil on wood displays the meticulous Flemish technique with smooth modeling of flesh and precise rendering of the elaborate costume. The neutral background focuses attention on the sitter's features and the fine detail of her dress and jewelry.