Rembrandt (1606-1669)
Portrait of a Woman, Possibly Maria Trip
1639
Oil on panel, 107 x 82 cm
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
The sitter is likely the 20-year-old Maria Trip. She hailed from an extremely wealthy family involved in the arms trade. Here, she displays her affluence in full regalia: she wears a collar of the finest lace, a brooch with matching earrings, and a fortune in pearls. The Chinese folding fan in her left hand was still a very rare and therefore precious accessory in 1639.
Maria’s father amassed enormous wealth through trade in iron and arms. In 1639 she was 20 years old and still unmarried. In this portrait, she makes no bones of the fact that she has money to spend. Her neckerchief is made of the finest, almost transparent lace, and she wears a fortune in pearls. Fans, like that in her left hand, were still rare and precious accessories in 1639. (RIJKS)