Portrait of a woman, Michiel van Mierevelt
This unknown young woman with a fine, pale face, looks stiff in her clothes. The black, which was very much in fashion in the Netherlands, where most people were Protestant in the early 17th century, is modulated by the subtle effects of the light, which seems to shimmer on the satin and feathers of the fan. The sobriety of the background further emphasizes the decorative detail, which draws the eye with its richness: the jewels and the brocade bodice, the lace on the sleeves, and the impressive ruff round her neck. These features, like the choice of painter—who was the favorite portraitist of the aristocracy and middle classes—indicate the subject's high social status.
She is depicted turning to the right, probably towards the now lost portrait of her husband. Protestant painters favored sobriety, black, and somber tones, as well as sets of monochrome shades. Their rejection of vivid colors distinguishes them from the Catholic painters of the Reformation, who preferred a rich palette of colors.
