Self-portrait by Judith Leyster
| Self-portrait | |
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| Artist | Judith Leyster |
| Year | c. 1630 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 74.6 cm × 65.1 cm (29.4 in × 25.6 in) |
| Location | National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. |
Self-portrait by Judith Leyster is an oil painting in the collection of the National Gallery of Art that was offered in 1633 as a masterpiece to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke. It was attributed for centuries to Frans Hals and was only properly attributed to Judith Leyster upon acquisition by the museum in 1949.
In 2016 a second self-portrait was found, dating from around 1653.
Continuing the in tradition of 16th century artists who pushed to have painting seen as a profession as opposed to a craft, Leyster choice to depict herself wearing lace cuffs, rich fabric and a huge collar, which would not have been suitable for painting, draw attention to her wealth and success. In doing this she both distinguished herself from less skilled artisans and showcased her technical abilities. While it is unclear whether Leyster studied under Hals the loose brush strokes and casual pose echo his stylistic choices. Similar to other paintings of hers Leyster's self-portrait has a momentary quality to it, she is turned partially to the viewer with her lips parted to as if to speak. This, along with the fistful of brushes and choice to include the fiddler from her later painting The Merry Trio suggest that this piece would have been used to advertise her abilities to an extent.
The painting, supposed to be executed in the 1620s by Hals, may have been among those sold as "Daughter of the artist" in early sales catalogs. The painting was sold by the Ehrich Galleries of New York on 9 May 1929 to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Woods Bliss, of Washington, D.C for 250,000 dollars. In 1928 W.R. Valentiner declared it a portrait of Leyster by Hals, and in 1930 Gerrit David Gratama confirmed his attribution, declaring that it was a portrait taken while she was making a study of her later painting The Merry Trio.
According to Hofrichter, x-ray analysis shows that the subject first underneath the figure on the easel was a portrait of a young girl, and that it would be in keeping with the tradition of other masterpieces of Leyster's day to show off her artist's expertise by changing this to show that she was also capable of painting figures in theatrical poses as well as portraiture.
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