No. 05The 1600s
Dutch Golden AgeJudith Leyster
1609 – 1660 · Netherlands
Her paintings were sold as Frans Hals for 200 years.
All artistsDutch Golden Age
Dutch Golden AgeSelf-Portrait, c. 1630. Judith Leyster. CC0 (National Gallery of Art open access) · Source: Wikimedia Commons
Painting
Judith Leyster
1609 – 1660 · Netherlands
A brewer's daughter from Haarlem who ran her own workshop with students. Her lively, laughing figures were so convincing that later dealers credited them to a famous man.
Know more on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Fact file
- Born
- 1609
- Died
- 1660
- Country
- Netherlands
- Era
- The 1600s
- Style
- Dutch Golden Age
- Disciplines
- Painting
- Key work
- Self-Portrait (c. 1630)
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Where to see it
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, USA
Curiosity!
DocumentedShe signed with a monogram — her initials joined to a star, a pun on 'leister' (lodestar). Spotting it in 1893 helped give her work back to her.
What we know (and what we don’t)
- Documented
She was admitted to the Haarlem painters' Guild of St Luke in 1633 — one of very few women.
- Documented
She was baptised in 1609; her exact birth date is not recorded.
Where to see her
On view right now
- On nowGroup show
W̶o̶m̶a̶n̶ Painter
Nasjonalmuseet · Oslo, Norway
8 Oct 2026 – 7 Feb 2027
Official page for W̶o̶m̶a̶n̶ Painter (opens in a new tab)
Museums that own her work
- MauritshuisThe Hague, Netherlands(opens in a new tab)
- National Gallery of ArtWashington, DC, USA(opens in a new tab)
Owning isn’t always showing: works rotate, go into storage or travel on loan — check before you go.
Hunting for a show we missed?
Exhibition list last checked 25 Oct 2026.