# Portrait of a Lady

- By: Frans Hals (Dutch, 1582–1666)
- Date: 1627
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Classification: Painting
- Dimensions: 86.5 × 70.7 cm (34 1/4 × 27 13/16 in.); Framed: 107 × 91.4 × 6.4 cm (42 1/8 × 36 × 2 1/2 in.)
- Culture: Holland
- Credit line: Max and Leola Epstein Collection
- Museum: [Art Institute of Chicago](https://www.artic.edu/artworks/105945)
- Rights: [Public domain (CC0)](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- Picture: https://www.artic.edu/iiif/2/730ab90f-45c3-ca32-77d0-a43858cdbbab/full/!1920,1080/0/default.jpg
- Who can see it: Tweens profiles and older (museums give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the museum's own words)

Frans Hals, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the 17th century, demonstrated here his signature verve in inscribing decoration on black satin and capturing the freshness of his subject’s skin. Adopting the portrait conventions established by such specialists as Paulus Moreelse, Hals enlivened this sitter through the application of loose brushstrokes to create highlights on her lace cap and brocaded bodice. The plain background, which bears the date of the painting and the age of the sitter, focuses attention on the 33-year-old woman’s face and fine attire.

Description © Art Institute of Chicago, CC BY 4.0