Student Artwork Guide — Self portrait

Name Class Date

Judith Jans Leyster, Self portrait (1653). Public domain. See this canvas under a moving light: the drawing, the true colour under the varnish, the bare pigment

The facts

Artist: Judith Jans Leyster originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/judith-jans-leyster/
Artist’s dates: 1609 – 1660
Painted: 1653
Movement: Baroque Dramatic, theatrical pictures using deep shadow and strong diagonals to pull you into the action.

Copyright This work is in the public domain. Judith Jans Leyster died in 1660; copyright lasts 70 years after the artist’s death, so it ended in 1730.

Self portrait — Judith Jans Leyster

When was this painted?

1600
1610
1620
1630
1640
1650
1660

Row above: the years. Row below: how old the artist was at the start and at the end of each span — 0 at birth, 51 at death.

Painted when the artist was 44. The artist lived to 51. 23 of the 26 dated works by this artist in our catalogue came earlier.

Shaded: the lifetime of Judith Jans Leyster (1609–1660) ▲ this work, 1653 every dated painting, decade by decade

First works: up to 1629 Main working years: 1629–1635 Late works: from 1635

Those three bands split the works this catalogue has a date for into a first quarter, a middle half and a last quarter. They are not the artist’s complete output: a thin stretch may be a gap in the record rather than a quiet spell. The same years with the artist’s life laid along them

Compare with

The Jolly Drinker, 1629 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-the-jolly-drinker-D2T59U-en/
The Serenade, 1629 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-the-serenade-D2T5BB-en/
The Proposition, 1631 originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-the-proposition-D2H84H-en/

Pick one work above: name two things it shares with this one, and one thing that's different.

More works to set beside this one: originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/

Colours

Measured from the image

Main colour

Phthalo Green #22201f

Catalogued palette

#22201F
#9B9080
#000000
#4F4D40

These colours inside the artist’s whole palette Find other paintings by colour

Palette: Earthy The dominant colour family in the image.
Main colour name: Phthalo Green
Intensity: Monochromatic How saturated and varied the colours are, from a single toned-down hue to many bright ones.
Contrast: Gentle How much the colours differ in lightness and saturation across the picture.
Harmony: Balanced Harmony How well the colours work together, from clashing to fully unified.
Brightness: Deep_shadow How light or dark the picture reads overall, from deep shadow to bright highlight.
Saturation: Muted How pure and strong the colours are, from near-grey to fully vivid.

Where in the world is this painting looked at?

under 1%
1–3%
3–8%
8–20%
20% and over

This painting alone has too few recorded visitors to map, so the plate reads every work by Judith Jans Leyster over the last twelve months — 5 countries in all. Where these figures come from

The ten leading countries

1 China 53.8%
2 United States of America 23.1%
3 Italy 7.7%
4 Malaysia 7.7%
5 Réunion 7.7%

Find the three darkest countries on the map. Is the museum that keeps this painting in any of them? Write down one reason people far away might look at it.

The 13 most looked-at works by Judith Jans Leyster

1 Young Flute Player, 1635 13.3%
2 The proposition 13.3%
3 The Last Drop, 1629 13.3%
4 Jolly Toper, 1629 6.7%
5 Carousing Couple, 1630 6.7%
6 Three Boys Merry-making, 1629 6.7%
7 Tulip, 1643 6.7%
8 Merry Company, 1630 6.7%
9 The Jester, 1625 6.7%
10 Serenade, 1629 6.7%
11 Two musicians, 1629 6.7%
12 The Serenade, 1629 6.7%
— Self portrait, 1653 this painting 0.0%

Together these works take 100.0% of all the attention this artist's paintings received over the last twelve months. The catalogue holds 35 works by this artist, of which 12 were looked at at least once. This painting has not been looked at yet in that time — it closes the list without a rank. The same counts, month by month

Bars measure attention, not quality. Pick the work at the top and this one: name one thing that might make a painting famous beyond how well it is painted.

Artist

Judith Jans Leyster

Born in Haarlem, Netherlands

early life and training

judith jans leyster, a pioneering female painter, was born in july 1609 in haarlem, netherlands. she was the eighth child of jan willemsz leyster, a cloth maker who later became a brewer. while her training is not well-documented, it's believed that she learned painting from frans pietersz de grebber, a respected artist with a workshop in haarlem.

artistic career

leyster's first known signed works, serenade and jolly topper, date back to 1629 when she was just twenty years old. by 1633, she became a member of the haarlem guild of st. luke, making her one of the first female artists to be part of this prestigious organization.

notable works and collaborations

some of leyster's notable works include:

self-portrait (c. 1633), now at the national gallery of art, washington, d.c., which may have been her presentation piece to the guild.

two illustrations in a book about tulips from 1643, showcasing her versatility.

a portrait from 1652 and a still life from 1654, discovered in a private collection in the 21st century, demonstrate her enduring skill.

collaborations with jan miense molenaer: leyster married jan miense molenaer, a more prolific artist, in 1636. they worked together, sharing a studio in haarlem, and had five children.

legacy and rediscovery

despite being highly regarded by her contemporaries, leyster's work was largely forgotten after her death in 1660. it wasn't until 1893 that she was rediscovered, and scholars began to correctly attribute her works. today, her paintings are recognized as significant contributions to the dutch golden age.

explore more of leyster's works on AllPaintingsStore.com.

learn about the dutch golden age and its notable artists at wikipedia.

discover other female artists from the era on the dutch golden age art movement page.

conclusion

judith jans leyster's trailblazing career as a female painter in the 17th century netherlands has left an indelible mark on art history. her rediscovery and recognition serve as a testament to her enduring talent and the evolving perception of women in the art world. museum name: national gallery of art, washington, d.c.

the dutch golden age art movement

judith jans leyster's works on AllPaintingsStore.com

Where to read more

The artist Judith Jans Leyster originaluniqueart.com/en/artists/judith-jans-leyster/
Similar works More works to compare originaluniqueart.com/en/art/similar/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/

Find this online

QR code linking to the download page for Self portrait

originaluniqueart.com/en/art/download/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/

Cite this artwork

MLA: Leyster, Judith Jans. Self portrait. 1653, https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/
APA: Leyster, Judith Jans (1653). Self portrait [Painting]. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/
Chicago: Judith Jans Leyster. Self portrait. 1653. https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/
Harvard: Leyster, Judith Jans (1653) Self portrait. Available at: https://originaluniqueart.com/en/art/judith-jans-leyster-self-portrait-D2UHTU-en/

Self portrait — Judith Jans Leyster

Look closely

Answer in your own words. There are no wrong answers here — only answers you can explain.

What catches your eye first, and why?
Which colours or shapes create the mood — and what is that mood?
How many faces can you find? ____ (our catalogue counts 1 — do you agree?)
Look back at The Jolly Drinker (1629), earlier in this guide. Name two things it shares with this work, and one that is different.
Baroque: Dramatic, theatrical pictures using deep shadow and strong diagonals to pull you into the action. Where can you see that in this work?

Your response

Write a short paragraph about this artwork. Use the facts from the earlier parts of this guide, and your answers above.

Questions & Answers

How can I get a print of "Self portrait" by Judith Jans Leyster?

To get a print of "Self portrait" by Judith Jans Leyster, simply order it on its Fine Art Print page: a fine art print on cotton canvas or archival canvas paper.

What luminance does "Self portrait" by Judith Jans Leyster have?

The colors of "Self portrait" show a dark luminance.

Why is the copyright status of "Self portrait" what it is?

The copyright status of "Self portrait" - in the public domain - its copyright has expired - follows from the artist's death in 1660.