Portrait of a Young Girl

Flemish artist Petrus Christus painted this Portrait of a Young Girl around 1470, capturing an unknown sitter with quiet intensity. Her direct gaze and serene expression give her an mysterious presence. The dark background and subtle modeling of her features show Christus's mastery of oil technique.

Christus succeeded Jan van Eyck as the leading painter in Bruges. His portraits broke new ground by placing figures against atmospheric backgrounds rather than flat surfaces. This work exemplifies Early Netherlandish painting at its finest. It now hangs at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, one of the world's great collections of Old Master paintings.