Judith Leyster - Self-portrait

• Title: Self-portrait
• Artist: Judith Leyster (1609-1660)
• Date: c.1630
• Medium: Oil on canvas
• Dimensions: 75 x 65 cm

This “Self-portrait” of Judith Leyster was offered in 1633 by her to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke, probably when she was admitted in the guild, a rare privilege at the time for a woman. Leyster’s self-portrait was very relaxed for the time and has a welcoming quality to it- she is turned partially to the viewer with her lips parted as a smile, which is unusual for a painting of the time; her attitude is casual and self-confident; and, she is looking towards the viewer in a friendly way. The joviality of the subject in the painting she was working on adds to the overall feeling of good humor. Leyster wore a formal velvet dress and a wide lace collar to look her best and to show how successful an artist she was though she would not have painted dressed as elegantly.