Caterina van Hemessen

Selected Works

A light-skinned woman with dark eyes and reddish hair beneath a white cap stands with her hands held together in front of her waist. She wears an outfit of black and gray, with a high collar that reaches her chin. Around her neck, a reddish necklace or chain is knotted and reaches almost to her waist.

Portrait of a Woman, Probably a Self-Portrait

1548
Caterina van Hemessen, Portrait of a Woman, Probably a Self-Portrait, 1548. Oil on panel, 23 x 15.2 cm. Rijksmuseum
Rijksmuseum

A young woman with very light skin, large dark eyes, reddish-brown hair, and a serious expression sits at an easel with paintbrushes and palette in her hands. She wears a white cap over her hair and a black dress with red sleeves. She looks directly out at the viewer.

Self-Portrait at the Easel

1548
Caterina van Hemessen, Self-Portrait at the Easel, 1548. Oil on canvas, 32.2 x 25.2 cm. Kunstmuseum Basel
Kunstmuseum Basel

A large, carved wooden altarpiece with two doors swung open has thirteen small paintings inside. On the left door, a light-skinned nude man and nude woman stand in a garden, holding an apple between them. In the center, six images depict a group of light-skinned people kneeling over an infant child; a group of light-skinned people, mostly women, kneeling over the emaciated body of a brown-haired, light-skinned man, with a wooden cross in the background; a large central image of a light-skinned brown-haired man wearing only a loincloth suspended from a wooden cross by his hands and feet, with three women gathered at the bottom of the cross; an aged, light-skinned nude man with a bald head and gray beard kneeling on the ground with a blue cloth and red cloth, the man on the cross visible behind him; a light-skinned man with brown hair standing in a river with his hands clasped, while another man with similar features stands on the shore holding his hands over the man in the river's head; and a large group of people kneeling, raising their hands up, and looking toward the sky, where above their heads, a pair of feet is just visible in the air above them. Finally, on the right side door, a young boy with light skind and red hair kneels at the feet of an older man with light skin, a gray beard, and a red cap, who has his sword raised over his head to strike, while far above a golden-haired, light-skinned angel in white robes holds back the sword.

Altarpiece with Scenes from the Old and New Testaments (the Tendila Retablo)

1550s
Caterina van Hemessen, Altarpiece with Scenes from the Old and New Testaments (the Tendila Retablo), 1550s. Oil on panel, 355 x 457.2 cm. Cincinnati Art Museum, 1953.219
Cincinnati Art Museum

A light-skinned man with light hair and a goatee and dark eyes stands with one hand on his waist, the other gripping the handle of a sword or walking-stick. He wears a black jacket with short cap sleeves and three diagonal slashes on each side of the chest, and a shiny white long-sleeved shirt underneath.

Portrait of a Man

ca. 1552
Caterina van Hemessen, Portrait of a Man, ca. 1552. Oil on oak panel, 36.2 x 29.2 cm. National Gallery, London
National Gallery, London

A young woman with light skin, medium brown hair underneath a gold-colored cap, and dark eyes stands with her hands crossed in front of her waist. She wears a black dress with white lower sleeves, a row of gold buttons down teh front, three large gold chains around her neck, and a large gold chain around her waist.

Portrait of a Young Lady

ca. 1560
Caterina van Hemessen, Portrait of a Young Lady, ca. 1560. Oil on panel, 30.4 x 22.9 cm. Baltimore Museum of Art, 1951.397
Baltimore Museum of Art

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