Based on the Portrait of a Lady by Dirck van Santvoort from 1637

The sitters in historical portraits had to look serious in any case. Laughter was forbidden, as were gestures that could be interpreted lightly. That is why these portraits sometimes look very stiff. It is also important to remember that the subject had to stand still for long periods of time so that the artist could paint them.

In this work, I extended the precious golden braid of her dress so that it floats around her in dynamic loops. This gives movement to her serious expression and indicates that every little detail of the portrait wants to bring the viewer closer to the social position of the sitter.