Portrait of a Young Woman

A rare three-quarter length portrait from Albrecht Altdorfer, this painting must surely represented business more than pleasure to an artist who was much more passionate about landscape scenes of Bavaria.

Introduction

Albrecht Altdorfer's Portrait of a Young Woman is dated circa 1522 and is part of the permanent collection of the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. Despite his main focus on landscape art, this portrait is still particularly well executed and underlines his broad technical ability which could be adapted to different genres, when necessary.

Description

All that said, he completes a good job in this portrait, capturing a relatively simple but smartly dressed young woman in traditional clothing. To have a model sit such as this was also rare, with his other figurative depictions tending to be multiple people together, normally outdoors. This composition was clearly much more carefully planned and although that might give a more sterile look, Altdorfer manages to produce an ultimately charming painting none the less.

Whilst most likely a maid or servant, it would be wrong to assume that this woman was particularly poor. She wore several rings on her fingers and her outfit, that would have been provided for her employment, was particularly well made. The lighting effects provided by the artist help us to determine approximately the types of cloth used for her dress which radiates quality. The colours used are also pleasant and upbeat rather than the potentially dowdy colours that others may have been dressed in.

The young woman's expression looks alert and contented, perhaps as if waiting for orders attentively. Portraits such as this are excellent tools for learning more about life during this time, though you always need to consider whether an artist is depicting entirely as per reality or perhaps flattering his subject. As a rare three-quarter length portrait, this is a particularly important painting in the artist's overall ouevre.

Painting Qualities

The wonderful use of material in this painting are one of the most memorable elements of it. Altdorfer delivers glowing green, both on the woman's dress, but also in the background. It reflects light and looks incredibly lifelike. This was impressive at this time in the early 16th century, and a number of north European artists were skilled in the finer details of portraits such as this.

The model wears a number of rings on her fingers which provide aesthetic interest, but also perhaps provides a symbolic meaning, as to her status in society. Sadly, little is known about the sitter, and the painting itself has only recently been attributed to Altdorfer. Its age is sometimes more loosely estimated at circa 1515 to 1525, by other experts on the period.

Condition

The painting remains in relatively good condition, considering its age. Cracks appear throughout the piece, which is entirely inevitable, but the colours remain particularly vivid. Its presence as a rare portrait from this artist, also makes the artwork a particularly important discovery.

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