03/11/2026
One of my favorite residents of the Gallery of Honor in the Rijksmuseum, The Girl Dressed in Blue, has returned! 2 things stand out with this painting. First, her gaze makes you feel like you know her, she looks familiar because Verspronck paints her so life-like, as if she is a photograph. Second, as was the custom at the time, children were often dressed as adults. Which in some way is off-putting and unnatural. Make no mistake, one of the goals of portraits is to convey the wealth of its subject, even if the family does it through the likeness of their children. It was “Toddlers and Tiaras” of the 1600s.
I give private tours of the Rijksmuseum. See the materpieces and experience Dutch history and culture through art. Please check out the private tours section of my Amsterdam and You website for details or email me at [email protected]