Caterina van Hemessen (1548). Self-Portrait [oil on wood]. Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Switzerland.

This is a work of realism with minor compositional adjustments to suit the needs of the artist. Hemessen’s choices in the use of value focus attention on her features and her activity. The vague development of the background does not define the shape of her body and arms well, with the exception of highlights on the folds of her sleeves. This isn’t necessarily a weakness, because she is respectably identifiable and the overall dense treatment of the painting binds it together.

Depth is compressed but developed beyond flatness. It is crafted through modelled value graduations and sharp contrasts that build overlapping forms. The color palette is effectively a monochromatic cool red that includes purity variations.

Van Hamessen harmonizes through dominance: Dark values and a monochromatic red color scheme. The artist’s canvas, hands and head are highlighted with the paintings only light values, emphasizing her craft, mind and creativity. It’s interesting how van Hemessen has used flesh and reds to create what would normally be a warm composition. However, this is not the case because of her use of dense tones and the coolness of the reds.