Portrait of a Woman, Catharina van Hemessen, 1548
oil on panel, h 23cm × w 15.2cm More details
Catharina van Hemessen is the first Southern Netherlandish female painter by whom dated and signed work is known. This portrait is probably one of her earliest works. In the 16th century, women usually did not have a profession, let alone an apprenticeship or their own studio. It is therefore likely that Catharina was trained by her father, the painter Jan Sanders van Hemessen.
