Portrait of Machtelt Suijsc. 1540–45 · Study 1987.136

Context from the museum

Maerten van Heemskerck lived in Rome for four years (1532–36) and was deeply affected by the city's art and antiquities. Here, the half-length, seated figure, the tense yet elegant hands, and even the grotesque classical mask reflect the impact of that experience, while the love of meticulously represented textures is traditionally associated with northern European art. Machtelt Suijs married Dirick van Teijlingen in 1535 and lived in Alkmaar (the Netherlands), where Heemskerck must have painted her. The coat-of-arms that hangs from the mask combines family emblems, indicating that her portrait must have been accompanied by one (now lost) of her husband.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The coat of arms depicts golden pile drivers, indicating the family construction business.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Portrait of Machtelt Suijs is 74 cm wide and 85 cm high, equivalent to approximately 29.1 × 33.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.87:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.63 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 24.7% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 113.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Portrait of Machtelt Suijs in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on wood, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 74 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?