Analysis of
Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog
Rembrandt van Rijn
Oil on Canvas
1665
In this evaluative essay, I will be analyzing “Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog”, painted by Rembrant van Rijn. I will be discussing my first impressions of the painting, how the painting incorporates the elements of art, how the painting used the principles of art, the medium used, and the context of the painting. I will conclude with my overall impression of the painting and why I think it has been deemed worthy to be shown in an art gallery.
Upon first glance of this painting, I noticed how the artist has used the principle of contrast to highlight the figure. A black background surrounds the lady in the portrait which caused my eye to focus immediately onto the woman’s face, more specifically her eyes. Her eyes mimic the darkness of the background, but provide a fierce contrast to the paleness of her skin. As my eyes traveled down her body they were caught by the highlights on her two necklaces. The artist has again used the principle of contrast, this time prompting my eye to examine the jewelry that the lady is wearing. The jewelry that the lady is wearing (two necklaces, two pearl bracelets, earrings, and a metal hair clip) suggests to me that this lady belongs to a fairly wealthy family. After examining her jewelry, my eyes were allowed to travel along the rest of the painting to analyze her clothes, the dog, and the fabric she is holding. Her regal, flowing clothes are further an indication of her wealth, along with the fabric in her arms, which I believe to be a type of fur blanket. The dog was hard to notice in the painting because of its size and lack of emphasis. Despite having white patches of fur on its head, it was not the first thing I noticed in the portrait. It was only after my eyes were able to travel down the woman’s body that I realized she was holding a small dog in between her palms.
The most prominent elements of art that were used in this painting were the elements of size, texture, space, and line. The element of size is prominent in the relationship between the size of the woman and the size of the dog. The woman occupies the majority of the painting, where the dog occupies a very small portion of the overall composition. It seems odd that the painting would be titled “Portrait of a Lady with a Lap Dog” when the small dog is overshadowed by the size of the woman. The element of texture helps indicate the wealth of the lady in the portrait. The dress she is wearing appears to have been made out of a large amount of fabric, a sign that the dress would have been very expensive, so she could possibly be a lady of a higher status. Additionally, the implied texture of the fabric she is holding suggests that it could be some kind of fur or animal skin, which is a further indication of wealth. The element of space is used to add emphasis to the content of the portrait. The completely black background (negative space) forces the viewer to only look at the woman and the dog (positive space). Lastly, the element of line both pulls you into the painting and leads you out of it. Due to the fact that the Western world views images from top left corner to bottom right corner, the viewer’s eyes are led directly to the face. Once you see the eyes of the lady, you follow her invisible line of sight out of the painting.
The principles of design that were used in this portrait were the principles of contrast and proportion. The principle of contrast, as previously mentioned, is used to emphasize the content of the painting. The portrait of the lady and the dog are the only contents of the painting, and this is what the artist had intended the viewer to focus on. The contrast between the completely black background and the skin colour of the lady is the most prominent contrast in this painting. The principle of proportion is used between the size of the lady and the size of the dog. While the lady seems to be the “normal” size, the dog is almost too small for what one would expect a dog to be. The dog almost fits between the lady’s cupped hands which makes it hard to notice it initially. This connects to my earlier point referencing how the title doesn’t seem to match the proportions in the painting.
When creating this portrait, Rembrant van Rijn used oil paint on a wooden canvas. I could not see if this had any effect until I ventured closer to the painting. When I was viewing the painting from approximately one to two feet away, I noticed that all the depth and highlights of the painting were not visible at all. Up close, the techniques to create these illusions of depth and light only looked like blobs of paint. I concluded that this portrait should only be viewed from a distance. When seen up close, I found the realistic qualities of the painting to be ruined.
In terms of the actual content of the portrait itself, I developed a few inquiries regarding components that I found to be unclear. My first question is in regards to the use of the black background. In other portraits that I have viewed that were painted around the same time period, the background was never completely black like it is in this portrait. The closest I’ve seen to a completely black background was a portrait in front of a black wall with the rays of a light source cast upon the wall and the floor. In this painting, there appears that there is no light source, as if the lady is just floating in space. Even if the majority of the light source was focused on the lady’s face, there would still be rays of light casting onto the background surface. Another question I have is about the age of the woman in the portrait. By my best guess, I could estimate her age to be between eighteen and thirty-five. Knowing the age of the woman would help clarify the purpose and story behind the portrait. It would help answer questions like “Did she have this portrait commissioned?”, “Why is she so important that this portrait was made of her?”, and “What is the purpose of her holding the dog in the portrait?”.
In conclusion, I enjoy this portrait because after analyzing it I discovered that there were many mysteries and questions surrounding it. I believe that a good piece of art should make you respond in this way. This is also why I think that this piece rightfully belongs in a museum. A piece of such simplicity allows you to push past its face value and dive into the discovery of what it truly means. This gives the viewers an interactive viewing experience, which increases the level of enjoyment and provides the communication that I believe a good art piece should possess.
Julia Wice 