Portrait of a Young Woman

One of Europe’s greatest portraitists, Rembrandt captured his subjects’ likeness as keenly as their mood and character. In this striking portrait, a luminous face emerges from a dark, enveloping atmosphere. Typical of his style towards the end of his career, the brushwork is loose and the palette economical, relying on a rich range of blacks, ruddy flesh tones and subtle touches of white. The sitter’s identity remains unconfirmed, but some have suggested she is the artist’s daughter-in-law, Magdalena van Loo.