Maddalena Cattaneo

Sir Anthony van Dyck

National Gallery of Art

A young girl with light skin, round, rosy cheeks, and blond hair holds an apple and wears a full, ankle-length, silvery white dress with puffy sleeves in this vertical portrait painting. She stands with her body slightly angled to our left, and she turns her face to look at us with large, dark blue eyes under faint brows. Her wavy blond hair falls to her chin and glimmers where it catches the light. Her nose and cheeks are flushed, and her rose-red lips are closed. She holds a red and green apple with both hands at her waist. Her dress has a high neck and voluminous, puffy sleeves with lace at the cuffs. Her dress is covered by a smock down the front and an apron over the full skirt. The apron is edged with lace and seems to be smooth, which contrasts with the textured appearance of the skirt and sleeves. The rounded toes of her cream-white shoes poke out under the ankle-length hem of her dress. She stands on a platform or on a step, and a crimson-red cushion with gold trim and tassels rests on the floor behind her. To our left, a thick, square column rises from a tall base and reaches off the top edge of the composition. The background to our right is dark with shadow.