Portrait of a Lady with a Ruff

Michiel van Miereveld

National Gallery of Art

This painting shows a woman from the waist up, in a three-quarter view, facing the left. She has fair skin, a long nose, and narrow, pink lips. Her dark brown hair is styled in a large, smooth bun and accessorized with a golden brooch or pin and a strand of lace. Around her neck is an exaggeratedly large lace collar, with several layers of long, straight lace under three strands of pearls. She wears a dark gown with intricate patterns on the sleeves, a sliver bodice, and lace-trimmed cuffs. The background is plain gray.