Attributed to Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen

Attributed to CORNELIS JANSSENS VAN CEULEN (London, 1593-Utrecht, 1661).
"Portrait of a lady".
Oil on canvas.
Period frame.
It has slight Repainting and damage to the frame.
Measurements: 74 x 57 cm; 104 x 90 cm (frame).

This portrait of lady attributed to Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen gathers the plastic characteristics that defined the style of the Flemish portraitist based in England during the XVII century, known by his refined portraits of the nobility. The lady, in a half-and-three-quarter-length frame, stands aloof and serene with her dark, somewhat melancholy eyes. Pearl earrings, matching the necklace that adorns her neck, peek out from under her silky, curly hair. Small ringlets hang over her bare forehead. The pearly flesh tones are lightly shimmering on the cheeks. The facial oval is long, stylized and denotes aristocratic haughtiness. The dress, made of silk, combines gold, white and blue tones, reflecting the palette preferred by Janssens to highlight the tactile and shimmering qualities of the fabrics. The puffed sleeves, typical of early 17th century fashion, reinforce the richness of the costume. The outlined lips, combined with a sharp nose and small, dark eyes, underline the model's unique character. Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen worked mainly for the English and Dutch elites, and specialized in formal portraits that followed an elegant and discreet line in contrast to the more dramatic portraits of other contemporaries such as Van Dyck. The composition reflects the Baroque taste for controlled opulence and idealized representation of the nobility.

Cornelis Janssens van Ceulen was an English portrait painter of the Dutch or Flemish school. Cornelis was described as one of the finest and most prolific portrait painters in all of England during the 1620s and 1630s." Janssens van Ceulen was born into a Flemish or Dutch family based in London. His father was a religious refugee from Antwerp, although the family originated in Cologne. His earliest recorded work dates from 1617 and is notably influenced by his education in the Netherlands. He produced hundreds of portraits of the emerging gentry of the time. Among his royal portraits, that of Charles I, as well as those of Charles II and James II in their childhood, both in the National Portrait Gallery in London. He also collaborated with Gerard Houckgeest on a portrait of Charles I's wife, Queen Henrietta Maria. In 1632 he was appointed royal painter by Charles I. This appointment could be due to the arrival in England of Van Dyck and the departure of Daniel Mytens: Janssens could have become Van Dyck's reserve painter. After his departure for the Netherlands he continued to paint portraits of English clients, exiled royalists and residents in England. His style can be related to that of Mytens, Van Dyck and William Dobson. His later Dutch portraits show an evolved style that reflects contemporary trends in portraiture in the Netherlands. Janssens uses numerous techniques that together unmistakably identify his studio during his early career, such as the combination of Alla prima with thin overlapping layers, calculated variations of brushwork and the use of high quality pigments that have resisted aging very well.