Woman Holding a Basket of Fruits, 1663 – 1670

Dimensions: 84.0 x 70.0 cm

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Inventory Number: 1942

Acquisition: Acquired in 1938

Status: On display, 2nd upper level, Old Masters, room 18

Texts

About the Work

He was destined for art from the cradle: Johann Ulrich Mayr, son of an Augsburg woman painter, trained first with Rembrandt in Amsterdam and later in Antwerp with Jacob Jordaens. Returning to his native city in southern Germany, he became one of the leading masters there. The basket of fruit and the leaves ornamenting her hair put this anonymous beauty on the same footing as Flora or Ceres, the goddesses of fruitfulness and bounty. The red cloak enhances the appeal of this truly eye-catching young woman with the pearl earring – and yet she seems absorbed in her own thoughts.

Work Data

Basic Information

Title: Woman Holding a Basket of Fruits

Painter

Johann Ulrich Mayr

Production Place

Augsburg

Period Produced

17th century

School

Baroque

Object Type

painting (artwork)

Physical Description: Oil on canvas

Material

canvas

Technique

Label at the Time of Manufacture: Signiert in der linken unteren Ecke „Mair f.“

Property and Acquisition

Institution

Städel Museum

Departement

Old Masters 1300 - 1800

Collection

Städelsches Kunstinstitut

Creditline: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main

Picture Copyright: Public Domain

Acquisition: Acquired in 1938

Work Content

Motifs and References

Genre

portrait

Main Motif

Associated Persons and Institutions

Iconclass

Primary

61BB111(+53) anonymous historical person portrayed alone - BB - woman (+ half-length portrait)
41A7751 container made of plant material other than wood: basket
41C653 fruit

Secondary