Female Pilgrim by Studio of David Teniers the Younger

Full of purpose and determination, this female pilgrim clasps her staff and rosary in front of her, her steady gaze fixed on the road ahead. Hanging from her belt is a small, portable triptych for private devotion, while attached to the shoulder of her grey cape is a pilgrim’s badge. Soft strokes of paint suggest greying hair, and ruddy cheeks hint at days spent in the open air. Despite the loose brushstrokes, her profile is clearly defined against the light sky. Her stance is determined and her sturdy shoes show she is ready for the journey that lies ahead.

Pilgrims were familiar figures in the Flemish landscape following the end of the Eighty Years War in 1648. Based in Antwerp, the Flemish artist David Teniers (1610-90) chose to depict them with an element of sensibility and sensitivity, their plain garments and simple accoutrements lending them an air of devotion with a humble demeanour. In contrast to the sometimes satirical or moralising paintings that he produced in large quantity, this work, and its pair Pilgrim, were perhaps made as preparatory models for prints or paintings that could be sold as commemorative items for the many real-life characters who were undertaking pilgrimage across Flanders.