Portrait of a Woman
circa 1440
Rogier van der Weyden captured the height of 15th-century Burgundian fashion in this striking portrait, featuring a woman wrapped in an enormous, starched white headdress that frames her serene face like a sculptural halo. Her hands are elegantly clasped at the bottom, drawing attention to the delicate rings on her fingers, while her dark, pleated dress contrasts sharply against the pitch-black background. Painted around 1440, this masterpiece of the Early Netherlandish Renaissance is celebrated for its incredible psychological depth and the almost photographic realism of the fabric's folds. It remains one of the most iconic and frequently reproduced portraits of the Northern Renaissance, currently residing in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
- Technique
- Oil painting
Location: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.