Caspar Netscher, 'Portrait of a Lady and a Girl', 1679
About the work
Overview
In Netscher’s painting, the hand resting gently on the little girl’s shoulder suggests that the woman is her mother. There is a faint likeness: the little girl still has the rounded cheeks of childhood, but the eyes and mouth of the two are similar.
Netscher was famous for his brilliant representation of rich fabrics, particularly the satin of both gowns here. These are perhaps dulled with age and dirt, and have lost their original sheen, but are still sumptuous. Though the pair are dressed in high fashion it is restrained in design and colour, intended to show a refined taste, borne out by the dignified posture of the mother and the unusually plain hairstyle of the girl.
Mother and child both hold an orange and there are more on the mother’s lap. The ruling family of the Netherlands was the House of Orange and perhaps the sitters were their supporters.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Portrait of a Lady and a Girl
- Artist
- Caspar Netscher
- Artist dates
- 1635/6 - 1684
- Date made
- 1679
- Medium and support
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 47.5 × 38.5 cm
- Inscription summary
- Signed; Dated
- Acquisition credit
- Layard Bequest, 1913
- Inventory number
- NG2953
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
- Previous owners
Provenance
Additional information
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Neil MacLaren, revised and expanded by Christopher Brown, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School: 1600–1900’, London 1991; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
Bibliography
-
1960Maclaren, Neil, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 2 vols, London 1960
-
1991Maclaren, Neil, revised by Christopher Brown, National Gallery Catalogues: The Dutch School, 1600-1900, 2nd edn (revised and expanded), 2 vols, London 1991
-
2001
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
About this record
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