3-035-837 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of Barbara Kressin, 1544. Additional Info: Barbara Kressin, aged seventeen. Barbara’s sober and subtly ornamented black gown serves as a magnificent foil for accoutrements which convey her wealth and social standing: the embroidered collar, blackwork cuffs, heavy gold chain, and the long gold girdle around her waist. The soft leather gloves she gently clasps, decorated with flowers may, along with the rings on her forefinger and the girdle, refer to her marriage. While Barbara Kressin has been associated with the Nuremberg family of the same name, her identity cannot be confirmed. The naturalism of the sitter’s face and hands, together with the close attention to the details of costume, suggest the as-yet unidentified artist hails from the Netherlands.