Selfie for the nouveau riche

Friendly but reserved, a lady gazes at the viewer against a dark background. She is obviously a wealthy woman whose expensive clothing is based on the latest Parisian fashion. She comes from the Amsterdam bourgeoisie, which achieved wealth and influence in a short space of time during the so-called "Golden Age".

At the time, Amsterdam was the metropolis of Europe, where trade and business were booming. These nouveau riche were lucrative clients, which is why many painters came to the city, including Luttichuys. His parents were Dutch but lived in London, where he grew up.

Luttichuys specialized in portraits of ladies for wealthy clients. He succeeded in perfectly capturing their taste through these particularly realistic portraits with a deceptively realistic rendering of the various fabrics and surfaces.