Portret van Margaret Lemon 1630 - 1677

Adriaen Lommelin created this portrait of Margareta Lemon using engraving techniques. Lommelin was part of the Flemish Baroque movement, a period marked by dramatic, expressive art often commissioned by the church and aristocracy. Here, Lemon is depicted with dignity, holding flowers, adorned with pearls and blossoms in her hair; an idealized vision of feminine beauty and purity. Yet, to look at the portrait of Lemon is also to see the power dynamics inherent in the relationship between artist and sitter, between the male gaze and female representation. Lemon was the muse of painter Anthony van Dyck. Portraits of women during this time often served to immortalize their beauty but also to define their roles within a patriarchal society. Do you think this portrait challenges or reinforces societal norms? What can it tell us about the agency and identity of women in the 17th century?