plate no. 0468

Portrait of Margaretha de Geer, Wife of Jacob Trip

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfigureclothingchairruffold woman

what to study here

It shows how a near-black ground, a warm face and a white ruff can organize a portrait, with detail concentrated in just three areas.

Look at how three value groups carry the whole picture. The background and dress sit near black, the face and hands occupy a warm mid-to-light range, and the pleated ruff is the lightest note, close to pure white with faint gray-blue shadows. Light comes from the upper left and models the face through soft shadows under the cheekbones and around the eyes, which gives her age and character. Edges are soft inside the face and sharper where the face meets the ruff, so the head separates from the dark ground. The ruff is drawn with fine linear strokes for each pleat, yet it reads as one fan-shaped ornament behind the head. The hands rest on a warm red-brown chair arm, painted with delicate wrinkles and age spots, and that arm works as a distinct middle value. The background is handled broadly with almost no texture. Study how detail is saved for the face, ruff and hands, and how the dark areas are kept simple so they recede.

key decision

Maes kept the background and dress nearly black and textureless, and put the lightest value in the ruff and the warm mid-light in the face. This makes the head and ruff come forward.

From the record

Dimensions: 88 cm high × 68 cm wide
Institution: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Munich Central Collecting Point
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, Munich Central Collecting Point
Inception: 1660
Materials: oil paint, canvas, panel

Margaretha de Geer

Wikidata item Q24283734

recreation guide

This artwork, Portrait of Margaretha de Geer, Wife of Jacob Trip (c. 1660), represents Nicolaes Maes’s mature style, which was significantly influenced by the Flemish portraiture tradition of Anthony van Dyck (Source 1). Unlike his earlier austere portraits against dark backgrounds, Maes’s work from the 1660s employs staging and accessories characteristic of Flemish portraiture (Source 1). The painting is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 88 x 68 cm, consistent with the standardized formats Maes used for half-length or three-quarter-length figures during this period (Source 2). The style reflects a transition toward the lighter spirit and elegant presentation that would fully develop in the 1670s, emphasizing gestures, poses, and clothing details (Source 1).

estimated time

40-60 hours over 8-12 sessions

materials

6 items

steps

6 in sequence

materials

item	purpose	modern equivalent
Oil on canvas	Primary medium and support, as documented for this specific work	Linen or cotton canvas primed with oil ground
Lead White	Dominant white pigment for the Dutch Golden Age, valued for opacity and fast drying	Titanium White (note: historically inaccurate but safer; use Zinc White for better historical fidelity regarding yellowing)
Linseed Oil	General purpose drying oil for binding pigments	Refined Linseed Oil
Ultramarine	Likely used for deep blues and in underpainting/glazing techniques common to the period	Natural Ultramarine or high-quality synthetic Ultramarine
Red and Yellow Earths/Ochres	For flesh tones and drapery, consistent with the 'red and yellow' extraction mentioned in glazing techniques	Venetian Red, Yellow Ochre
Varnish	For glazing and finishing, as noted in traditional oil painting practices	Dammar Varnish or Mastic Varnish

preparation

surface prep

The artist used canvas for this work (Source 2). While specific ground recipes for Maes are not detailed in the sources, Dutch Golden Age painters typically prepared canvas with a white or off-white oil ground to allow for the luminous glazing techniques described in Source 6. The surface should be smooth to facilitate the detailed rendering of accessories and clothing textures characteristic of Maes’s mature style (Source 1).

underdrawing

Sources do not explicitly describe Maes’s underdrawing method for this specific portrait. However, given the emphasis on 'staging and accessories' and the detailed rendering of clothes and hairstyles in his mature work (Source 1), a precise underdrawing is likely necessary to establish the composition before applying the complex glazes. Traditional practice often involved a charcoal or thinned oil sketch.

underpainting

Maes’s mature style likely involved a grisaille or monochrome underpainting, as suggested by the general practice of old masters described in Source 6. This technique involves establishing values and forms in neutral tones before applying color glazes. Source 6 notes that painters would 'mentally extract the red and yellow colours' in the preparation, glazing them in later. This method allows for the rich, deep tones and subtle flesh colors characteristic of Flemish-influenced Dutch portraiture.

color palette

Flesh Tones

Lead White, Vermilion, Yellow Ochre, Umber

Complexion, likely built up through glazing to achieve the 'brilliancy' and depth noted in Source 5

Deep Blues/Blacks

Ultramarine, Lamp Black, Ivory Black

Backgrounds or dark drapery, providing contrast to the lighter flesh tones and accessories

Reds

Vermilion, Red Lake

Accents in clothing or accessories, applied via glazing to maintain luminosity

Greys/Browns

Raw Umber, Burnt Sienna, White

Breaking tones and harmonizing colors, as advised in Source 5 for portrait painting

composition

The painting likely follows Maes’s standardized format for the 1660s, depicting a half-length or three-quarter-length figure (Source 1). The sitter is presented with staging and accessories influenced by Flemish portraiture (Source 1). While specific props are not described in the sources for this particular work, Maes often used props such as columns, fountains, or rocks in larger formats, or painted ovals in smaller ones (Source 1). The composition emphasizes the sitter’s pose and clothing details, reflecting the influence of van Dyck (Source 1).

step by step

underdrawing→underpainting→first pass→refining→finishing→varnishing

underdrawing

step 01
Sketch the composition on the prepared canvas, focusing on the pose and placement of accessories. Ensure the proportions are accurate, as Maes’s mature style emphasizes gestures and poses (Source 1).
Tip — Keep lines light to avoid interfering with subsequent layers.
Charcoal or thinned oil sketch

underpainting

step 02
Apply a monochrome underpainting (grisaille) to establish values and forms. Extract red and yellow tones, focusing on the structure of the face and drapery (Source 6).
Tip — Ensure the underpainting is completely dry before proceeding to glazing.
Grisaille

first pass

step 03
Begin glazing with transparent colors, starting with the flesh tones. Use red and yellow tones to build up the complexion, as described in Source 6. Apply thin layers to achieve depth and luminosity.
Tip — Work from dark to light, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly.
Glazing

refining

step 04
Add details to the clothing and accessories, using the principle of color contrast to enhance the complexion (Source 5). Choose colors for the dress and background that complement the predominant color of the skin.
Tip — Avoid crudity by using light tones or broken colors if intensity is too high (Source 5).
Color Contrast

finishing

step 05
Refine the edges and highlights, ensuring the staging and accessories are rendered with the detail characteristic of Maes’s mature style (Source 1). Use scumbling if necessary to adjust tones (Source 6).
Tip — Scumbling over darker grounds can create a cold, grey bloom, useful for shadows or distant areas.
Scumbling

varnishing

step 06
Apply a final varnish to protect the painting and enhance the depth of the glazes. Use a mixture of varnish and oil if needed for final adjustments (Source 6).
Tip — Ensure the painting is completely dry before varnishing.
Varnishing

critical techniques

Glazing

Used to build up transparent layers of color, particularly for flesh tones and rich drapery. This technique allows for the luminous quality and depth characteristic of Maes’s mature style and the Flemish influence (Source 6).

Color Contrast

Applied to harmonize the complexion with the dress and background. The portrait painter must choose accessories that give value to the predominant color of the skin, avoiding monotony (Source 5).

Staging and Accessories

Maes’s mature style incorporates staging and accessories seen in Flemish portraiture, emphasizing the sitter’s status and elegance (Source 1).

common pitfalls

→Over-modeling or being too tied down to the outline, which can result in a stiff appearance. Source 3 suggests copying works like Reynolds’s 'Portraits of Two Gentlemen' to check this tendency.
→Using crude or overly intense colors without breaking them with grey or light tones, which can detract from the harmony of the portrait (Source 5).
→Failing to allow sufficient drying time between glaze layers, which can lead to cracking or muddiness (Source 6).
→Neglecting the contrast between the complexion and the background/dress, resulting in a poor effect (Source 5).

what the sources don't tell us

Where the corpus is silent, we say so rather than guess. These are the gaps a complete recreation guide would normally cover that our source passages don't.

·Specific details of Margaretha de Geer’s clothing, jewelry, and facial expression are not described in the sources, so the recreation must rely on general characteristics of Maes’s mature style.
·The exact composition (e.g., whether she is leaning against a prop or in an oval frame) is not specified for this particular work, though Source 1 mentions standardized formats.
·Maes’s specific pigment recipes are not provided, so the palette is inferred from general Dutch Golden Age practices and the glazing techniques described in Source 6.

grounded in

The technical procedure in this guide traces to the following classical art-instruction texts.

The Practice of Oil Painting — ON COPYING↗
- Advice on copying — applied to Common pitfalls regarding over-modeling
Laws of Contrast of Colour — 6. Put beside each other two flat tints↗
- Utility of the Law — applied to Color palette and contrast principles
Laws of Contrast of Colour — 328. The contrast of the most opposite colours↗
- Application to portrait painting — applied to Step 4 (refining) and critical techniques regarding color harmony
The Practice of Oil Painting — COLOURING A MONOCHROME↗
- Glazing and scumbling — applied to Underpainting, step-by-step process, and critical techniques

cross-referenced from

Named facts about this artwork and artist were checked against these reference pages.

Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes — part 4↗
- Portrait painting — applied to Overview, composition notes, and critical techniques regarding staging and Flemish influence
Wikipedia bio — Nicolaes Maes — part 5↗
- Selected works — applied to Materials list (oil on canvas, dimensions)

Read more about the corpus on the sources page and how the guides are built on the methods page.

read from the painting

observed from the image, not the label

6 dominant colors, measured

what the eye sees

An elderly woman sits three-quarter view against an almost-black background, her gaze direct and engaging. Light rakes across her face from the upper left, creating strong modeling that defines her age and character through subtle shadows under the cheekbones and around the eyes. The composition pivots on the contrast between her illuminated face and the immense white pleated ruff that explodes behind her head like a fan—this ruff is the second brightest element after her face. Her hands rest on the wooden chair arm in the lower right, rendered with delicate wrinkles and age spots. The warm reddish-brown wood and her black dress anchor the composition while the white ruff and pale face float forward.

value structure

The darkest darks are the background and dress, which read as nearly black and recede completely. The face occupies a mid-to-light value range with warm ochre undertones; this is the visual anchor. The ruff is the lightest value—nearly pure white—with only subtle gray-blue shadows visible within the pleats. The hands and cuffs bridge between the face value and the ruff, sitting slightly darker than the ruff but lighter than the dress. The wooden chair arm reads as a distinct warm middle value. Squint and you see three main value groups: black background/dress, warm mid-light face/hands, and brilliant white ruff.

observed palette and mixes

#252222
ivory black with a touch of raw umber
deepest background, dress fabric, shadow areas
#dacbbe
titanium white with raw umber and burnt sienna for warmth
face, hands, and neck—the warm flesh tones
#574039
burnt sienna with raw umber and ivory black
wooden chair arm, warm mid-tones in the face shadows
#f5f5f0
titanium white with minimal ivory black and ultramarine for cool shadows
the pleated ruff and white cuffs

edges and brushwork

The face has soft, almost imperceptible edges within the shadows—the cheekbones and eye sockets blend smoothly—while the contours catch light sharply where the face meets the ruff. The ruff shows decisive linear brushwork: each pleat is drawn as a fine line, but they're painted with enough unity that the ruff reads as a single ornament rather than individual strokes. The hands are rendered smoothly with precise but delicate age markings—wrinkles are suggested rather than carved. The background is broadly handled with almost no texture, allowing the detailed face and ruff to dominate.

a working sequence

01
Establish the dark ground and face position
Lay in a dark wash of ivory black mixed with raw umber across the entire background and dress area. Let this dry. Draw the head shape lightly, marking the eye line and the tilt of the head (note how her head tips slightly to the side). Position the face so it's centered in the composition with generous space behind the head for the ruff.
02
Block in the ruff as a unified white shape
Paint the ruff as one shape in a light value—white mixed with just enough cool gray (ivory black + ultramarine) to show dimension. Don't paint individual pleats yet; just establish the overall fan shape and its position relative to the face. Notice how the ruff is taller behind the head and wider at the shoulders.
03
Establish face tones and structure
Mix your flesh tone: titanium white, raw umber, and burnt sienna in warm proportions. Block in the face simply, keeping values light. Identify the light source (upper left) and establish where the shadow plane falls—primarily under the jaw, on the far side of the cheek, and around the eye socket. The face needs to stay bright and readable; don't darken it yet.
04
Model the face with subtle shadow work
Refine the face by adding warmth and depth. Mix burnt sienna with your base flesh tone for the shadow areas. Work around the eyes carefully—add the eye color (warm brown with a bright highlight), the eyelids, and the subtle lines of age. Model the nose with a soft shadow on one side. Keep edges soft and avoid harsh lines; this is an old woman's face, not a young one.
05
Render the hands with character
Paint the hands at a slightly lighter value than the face but with the same warm tone. Indicate the knuckles, veins, and age spots with delicate brushwork—wrinkles on the back of the hand and between the fingers suggest age and life. The hands rest relaxed on the chair arm; avoid making them tense or awkward. Paint the white linen cuffs where they emerge from the black dress.
06
Define the ruff with pleated detail
Now work into the ruff's structure. Using a thin dark line (ivory black with ultramarine), draw the radiating pleats—they fan outward from the neck opening. Not every pleat needs to be individually rendered; suggest the pattern rather than cataloging each fold. Leave some pleats in bright white and shadow others with cool gray mixed into white. The pleats at the edges should be softer than those at the center.
07
Paint the wooden chair arm and establish depth
Mix burnt sienna with raw umber for the chair arm. Paint it with enough solidity to anchor the composition and the hands. Keep the surface simplified—suggest only the major form, not every wood grain. This warm red-brown middle value will push the face forward and the dark background back.
08
Final refinement and atmospheric depth
Step back and assess values. The background should feel very dark and recede; if it's too light, darken it. The ruff should glow against this darkness; add cool shadows only where needed to suggest form. Refine the transition where face meets ruff—ensure the face reads clearly. Add any final details to the eyes and soften harsh edges. The painting should read as three distinct planes: black background, warm illuminated face, and brilliant white ruff.

where studies of this painting go wrong

Treating the ruff as individual pleats rather than a unified ornament—it can become fragmented and lose coherence. Step back frequently to see it as a whole.
Darkening the face too much. The face is the star; keep it fresh and warm. The dark background should push it forward, not competition from a muddy face tone.
Making the hands look stiff or over-anatomical. They rest naturally on the arm; let them be graceful and age-marked but not tense.
Losing the atmospheric quality by overworking the background. It should feel soft and shadowy, not textured or patterned—simple dark recedes better than complicated dark.

measured difficulty