Portrait of a Woman with a Fan

Hals pays great attention to detail in the portrayal of this woman's elegant attire, which is characteristic of the period around 1640, when this picture was probably painted. She wears a large, flat three-tiered collar, silver bow and wide lace-trimmed cuffs. In her left hand she holds a fan made of feathers set in a gold mount, suspended from a golden chain. Although the sitter has not been identified, the elegant dress and jewelry suggest that she may have been the wife of a wealthy citizen of Haarlem. (http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk)