Portrait of a Woman
Medium
Oil on copper
Dimensions
Oval, 3 3/4 x 3 in. (95 x 76 mm)
Classification
Miniatures
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini, presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932
Accession Number
32.75.15
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Portrait of a Woman* by David Baudringhien is a gem of 17th-century Flemish miniature painting, crafted in oil on copper. Measuring just 3 3/4 x 3 inches in an oval format, its diminutive size belies the artist's masterful precision, allowing for intricate details like delicate facial features, lace collars, and subtle skin tones on the smooth, reflective copper surface. Copper was a favored support for miniatures, providing a stable, polished ground that enhanced luminosity and fine brushwork, making these works ideal for intimate viewing. Miniatures like this one flourished ...