Judith Leyster (1609 ‐1660) was a successful artist in the
Netherlands. She was one of the few women admitted to the
artist guild8
, a formal group of artist craftsmen9
who were well‐trained and had a certain level of skill could be
admitted to the guild. What does her self‐portrait tell us about
her? Is she a happy person or a serious person? Is she rich or
poor? Is she confident or uncertain about her abilities? Is she
shy10 or outgoing11? Skilled or untrained? Well‐dressed or out
of fashion?
The clothes she wears, the way she sits, the brushes and paints
in her hand and the painting she is working on tell us she is
happy, confident and successful. These are the things she wants us to know about her.