I think this is a really beautiful painting, or perhaps I should say a painting of a really beautiful young woman. Dated 1560, it is attributed to Caterina van Hemessen (1528 to after 1527), the first known female Flemish painter. When I say attributed to, I must say that I haven't found anybody saying it is not by her, but if you look at her other portraits, I think you will agree that the quality of this one is far better than any of the others. So either she took a great leap forward, or she was having a very good day, or -- what? In any case, we should celebrate her for being the first artist of either gender who painted a self-portrait sitting at an easel.
