By: meditation Define
The key personality of the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century and master painter Judith Leyster, adapted to painting like a duck to water.
However, misogyny and a fake signature caused art dealers to mistakenly credit her paintings to male painters for many years.
On this day in 2009, shows were presented at the National Gallery of Art and the Frans Hals Museum to pay tribute to her legacy. Her work is honored in today's Google Doodle.
Leyster, whose name means "lodestar," was born in Haarlem in 1609. (a person or thing that serves as an inspiration or guide).
Although little is known about her academic schooling among art historians, it is rumored that she showed great talent at a young age.
In his famous description of 19-year-old Leyster as a painter with "excellent and clear understanding," poet Samuel Ampzing, who traveled to Haarlem in 1628 to research a history of the city, made reference to his work.
There weren't many professional female painters at the time in Europe. Leyster, however, was never discouraged by this.
Serenade and Jolly Topper, Leyster's first known painting, was finished in 1629. It depicts daily life using her trademark impulsive and unrestrained brushstrokes.
A play on her last name, "J.L." crossed by a star, served as the monogram she used to sign her name.
A few years after producing her first picture, Leyster became one of the first female artists to be accepted into the elite painters' guild in Haarlem.
During this period, she also built her own studio and started taking on students.