Document: Portrait of a Lady, Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery, Paulus Moreelse, Dutch, born Utrecht, Netherlands 1571-died Utrecht, Netherlands 1638

Holding Institution
Smithsonian Institution
Document ID
SI-1971.453
Description

Portrait of a Lady, Smithsonian American Art Museum and its Renwick Gallery, Paulus Moreelse, Dutch, born Utrecht, Netherlands 1571-died Utrecht, Netherlands 1638

Document Date
1571-1638

Smithsonian - Portrait Lady - Moreelse_1638

Translation
Translation

The beautiful ruff worn by this lady fell out of favor and fashion after the 1640's, so something like this portrait might be hung in the home of a New Netherlander as an old family portrait.     The bleaching, starching, ironing, folding, and pinning involved in creating one of these ruffs may have been possible in Amsterdam, but would have presented serious challenges in New Amsterdam.

References

Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute, public domain

Document Location
Document Finding Aid or Collection
Smithsonian Institution - Artwork, Drawings, Prints, Objects, etc.
Link
https://www.si.edu/object/portrait-lady:saam_1971.453