Portrait of Kenau Simonsdr Hasselaer, anonymous, c. 1590 - c. 1609
oil on panel, h 34.8cm × w 26.5cm More details
Kenau Hasselaer here adopts an active stance, with her hands on weapons. She defended the city of Haarlem against the Spanish in the 16th century and became a national hero. Although her name later took on a negative connotation, in her own time she was hailed as a Manninne or ‘a very masculine woman.’ Does her pose refer to her military career, or to this supposed masculinity?
