Portrait of a Young Lady

The youthful subject of this portrait is bedecked in jewelry that features gold, enameling, gems, and pearls. Linked medallions emphasize the puffed contour of her sleeves, but most of her jewelry is intended to call attention to the wide neckline of her dress, framed in luxuriant lace. The delicate forms of the pearl necklace, with its jeweled drops, and the showy brooch backed by ribbons complement the openwork of the lace ruff and collar. Paulus Moreelse, who worked in Utrecht in the prosperous Dutch Republic, specialized in portraiture. The exceptional richness of this unknown woman's dress suggests that she was port of the court of the House of Orange-Nassau.

Credit: Max and Leola Epstein Collection