Verspronck was born in Haarlem around 1601-03, although his exact birth year is not known. He learned his painting skills from his father, Cornelis Engelsz., who was trained by Karel Van Mander and Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem. Verspronck lived and worked in Haarlem his whole life and portrayed the regent class of the city, from […]| Sophie Ploeg
Lace has long been associated with luxury and elegance, and it was a popular accessory in the fashion of the elite during the 16th and 17th centuries. In portraiture, lace was often used to convey status and convey the wealth and importance of the sitter. Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck was a master of painting […]| Sophie Ploeg
The lace used to decorate Elizabethan ruffs is either an early lace called cutwork and/or the slightly later reticella lace. Cutwork is a decorative technique where small areas of fabric are cut out and the edges secured and decorated with (buttonhole) stitches. Sometimes the holes are filled in with decorative stitches as well. Cutwork started […]| Sophie Ploeg
In the miniatures of Nicholas Hillard sitters wear similar lace ruffs to the one we can see in the Armada portrait, but then portrayed on a tiny scale. Hilliard painted the complex patterns of lace, embroidery, and jewellery (he was initially trained as a gold smith), in a highly detailed manner, recreating the splendour of […]| Sophie Ploeg
One of the most iconic images of the Tudor age is the Armada Portrait. It portrays Queen Elizabeth I and commemorates the failed Spanish invasion of 1588. Three versions of this portrait are known: one is in the Woburn Abbey collection, one is at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, and one is at the […]| Sophie Ploeg
Did Rembrandt Paint Oopjen's Lace?IntroductionLace is one of the most beautiful, complex, refined, and expensive items depicted in many early seventeenth-century Dutch portraits. And yet it is often a little overlooked by art historians. When elaborate lace collars were the height of fashion in the early seventeenth century, sitters were keen to be portrayed with […]| Sophie Ploeg