Taking inspiration from an academic work such as the portrait of Maria de’ Medici in widow’s weeds painted by Rubens in c. 1622 and now in the Prado, Van Dick offers us a painting of the highest quality depicting a lady of the Croy family from Brussels in mourning. Despite her condition, however, she wears bracelets, necklaces, pearl earrings and a costly cross around her neck to lighten her sombre attire in a picture which also relies on the large and sumptuos hangings to alleviate the gloom.
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TITLE
Portrait of a Lady
AUTHOR Antoon van Dyck
DATE 1635
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS cm 140 x 107
INVENTORY 387
ROOM XXXI
Work on display
AUTHOR Antoon van Dyck
DATE 1635
OBJECT TYPE AND MATERIAL Oil on canvas
DIMENSIONS cm 140 x 107
INVENTORY 387
ROOM XXXI
Work on display