After I posted on the painting fragment of the unknown girl by a Dutch painter (also unknown) I went searching for other portraits -- to see what in her might be considered the conventions of such portraits at that time, -- and really, I found almost none that matched the uniqueness of this painting. There were many paintings of much younger girls dressed as adults (which was the fashion of the day) -- but their faces are round and sort of flat, with only a hint of personality which I suspected reflected the way the painter felt about them -- as objects along with the accompanying birds, ponies, flower, toys also in the composition. The only real exception I found is Rubens -- who was painting different portraits of his daughter throughout her life. Here there is love, and familiarity, the features distinct -- the eyes watching the painter (and father) with mild amusment. A true face, like my unknown girl, very much alive.
Midori Snyder is the author of nine books for children and adults, published in English, French, Dutch, and Italian. She won the Mythopoeic Award for The Innamorati, a novel inspired by early Roman myth and the Italian "Commedia dell'Arte" tradition....
