Portret van een vrouw met een hoed

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

This delicate portrait, titled *Portret van een vrouw met een hoed* (Portrait of a Woman with a Hat), was created by the Dutch artist Rienk Jelgerhuis between 1739 and 1806. Executed on paper and measuring just 178 by 124 millimeters, the small scale suggests an intimate work—likely a drawing or study intended for close viewing rather than public display. Such formats were common in the 18th for capturing personal likenesses among the Dutch middle and upper classes. Jelgerhuis worked during the late Dutch Golden Age and Enlightenment period, a time when portraiture emphasized individual character and everyday elegance. The medium of paper highlights the artist’s skill in economical line work and subtle shading, allowing for spontaneity and detail that larger canvases might not permit. The presence of collector’s mark Lugt 2228 further underscores its journey through notable private collections, reflecting the enduring appreciation for Dutch draftsmanship. Today, this modest yet evocative piece offers visitors a glimpse into 18th-century Dutch social life and artistic practice, reminding us how even small works on paper can preserve both personal identity and cultural history.

About the Artist

Rienk Jelgerhuis · 1729–1806

Rienk Jelgerhuis (1729–1806) was a prolific Dutch portrait painter, engraver, and draftsman whose extraordinary productivity—producing no fewer than 7,763 documented portraits during his career—made him one of the most industrious portraitists of the eighteenth-century Netherlands. Born in the Frisian capital of Leeuwarden and dying in Amsterdam, Jelgerhuis built his reputation as an itinerant por...