The Education of the Virgin, 1656

Women of the Mauritshuis

Meet the leading lady of the baroque: Michaelina Wautier (1604 - 1689). Most women who managed to become artists generally focused on one genre: floral still lifes - like Rachel Ruysch – or portraits. But not Michaelina Wautier. She could paint anything, from portraits to still lifes and from scenes from everyday life to history paintings. And often on huge canvases. History paintings were the most highly regarded genre, so they were painted almost exclusively by men. Michaelina Wautier’s were therefore often attributed to men. But this one wasn’t. She signed it with 'fecit' (made by) and ‘invenit' (devised by) Michaelina Wautier. So let there be no doubt as to who painted it.