Portrait of a Woman, thought to be Lucretia Boudaen (1616-1663), Wife of Jean Ortt and Second Wife of Christoffel van Gangelt 1640 - 1670

Jacob van Loo painted this portrait of a woman, likely Lucretia Boudaen, in Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age. Boudaen's clothing and jewelry reflect her status within the mercantile elite. The painting reveals the social world of 17th century Netherlands, a society where the rise of trade and a new merchant class brought about new forms of civic identity and self-representation. Van Loo, like other portraitists of his time, offered the wealthy burghers a way to inscribe themselves into the historical record. Boudaen’s gaze and posture offer a window onto the negotiation between individual agency and social expectation. The fan she holds, the pearls around her neck, and the brooch on her shoulder all speak to the codes of status and femininity. By researching the city’s archives, probate records, and other historical documents, we can better understand the intricacies of class, gender, and identity in the Dutch Golden Age. Ultimately, this portrait reminds us that art is inseparable from the social structures that enable its creation and influence its meaning.