Portret van mevrouw Ursula Jannink-Veraguth
1941
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
h 55.2cm × w 46.3cm × t 2.5cm × d 3.5cm
Classification
painting
Museum
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Portret van mevrouw Ursula Jannink-Veraguth. Buste, het hoofd iets naar links. Mevrouw Jannink is gekleed in een grijs jasje met zwarte revers, waarin een beigekleurige strik. Op het hoofd een kleine hoed, 'chapeau de singe', van rode ripszijde met platte bol en licht opstaande rand, versierd met bruin grosgrain en een bruine voile (BK-1993-91).
Art Historical Context
### Portrait of Mrs. Ursulaink-Veraguth in 1941, this oil on canvas portrait captures Mrs. Ursula Jannink-Veruth in a classic bust format, her head gently turned to the left. 55.2 cm high by 46.3 cm wide, the anonymous work exemplifies traditional European portraiture techniques, where layered oils allow for rich textures in clothing and subtle skin tones. Housed in the Rijksmuseum (BK-1993-91), it reflects the enduring appeal of commissioned portraits, even amid World War II's uncertainties in occupied Netherlands. Mrs. Jannink exudes poised elegance in a gray jacket with sharp black lapels, accented by a beige bow. Crowning her is a chic "chapeau de singe"—a petite hat of red reps silk with a flat crown, upturned brim, brown grosgrain trim, and a delicate brown voile. This fashionable ensemble highlights 1940s women's style: refined yet resourceful, blending luxury fabrics with wartime restraint. As an anonymous piece, its significance lies in preserving a moment of personal sophistication during global turmoil. Such portraits offered quiet defiance and continuity, immortalizing everyday grace through masterful brushwork. A window into mid-20th-century Dutch life, it invites us to admire the artistry in subtle details. (198 words)
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...