Young Woman at an Open Half-Door

This young woman, with her sidelong glance and the ambiguous lift at the corner of her mouth, exemplifies the playful nature of Rembrandt van Rijn’s character studies, called tronies, as well as his use of doorways and windows as clever framing devices. However, the overall flatness of this composition argues against Rembrandt’s authorship. It may have been created by a member of his prolific workshop and then endorsed as a studio product with the artist’s signature and date.