5 Remarkable but often forgotten Dutch female painters

Now, you’ve probably all heard of Dutch painters Rembrandt van Rijn, Vincent van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals and Piet Mondrian. They are among what many would call the world’s best painters. The Starry Night (1889) by Vincent van Gogh, Girl with a Pearl Earring (c. 1665) by Johannes Vermeer and The Night Watch (1642) by Rembrandt van Rijn are iconic masterpieces known and loved all over the world.

This article is not about them, however. This article is about five remarkable Dutch female artists who are often forgotten but really shouldn’t be.

Anna Maria van Schurman (1607-1678)

Ever heard of Anna Maria van Schurman? If not, you are in for a treat, because this 17th-century powerhouse was basically doing it all, long before it was cool.

Born in Cologne in 1607 and raised in the Dutch Republic, Van Schurman quickly showed she was no ordinary child. We are talking serious brainpower and artistic talent from a young age. Philosophy, theology, drawing, painting, engraving - she tackled it all. And languages? She mastered a whole bunch of them (around 14!), which helped her build quite the reputation across Europe’s scholarly circles. 

She did not just shine in academic spaces, however. Her artistic work was also highly admired during her lifetime. Van Schurman had a thing for fine, detailed portraiture, often working on a miniature scale. Think delicate paper cuttings, engravings, and even portraits on materials like parchment and glass. For her, art was not just a side hobby; it was fully intertwined with her intellectual life.

But that’s not all. In 1636, she became the first woman to attend lectures at Utrecht University. Okay, there was a slight catch; she did have to sit behind a curtain (yes, really), but still, it was progress. She also used her voice to argue for women’s education, firmly believing that women were just as capable of intellectual and artistic excellence. Herself being clear evidence of that fact.

All in all, van Schurman left behind a pretty impressive legacy. A scholar, an artist, and a trailblazer who quietly, but firmly, challenged the limits placed on women in early modern Europe. Not a bad résumé, if you ask me.

Judith Leyster (1609-1660)

Born in 1609 in Haarlem, Judith Leyster quickly made a name for herself as a talented painter. In fact, her skills were recognised early on, with a local poet already praising her work while she was still a teenager. Not a bad start, right? She went on to build a successful career in a field that was, at the time, largely dominated by men, earning respect from fellow artists along the way.

So, what did she paint? Leyster became known for her lively genre scenes, portraits, and still lifes. Her work often captured everyday moments, musicians mid-performance, children at play, or quiet domestic interiors, all brought to life with expressive brushwork and a strong sense of character. She had a real talent for using light and shadow, especially in those intimate, candlelit scenes that feel almost cinematic. You can almost hear the music playing.

In 1633, she reached an important milestone: she became one of the first women admitted as a master painter to the Haarlem Guild of St. Luke. This meant she could run her own workshop and take on students, which was quite a big deal at the time.

Despite her success, her story takes a bit of a frustrating turn. After her death, her work was largely forgotten and often attributed to male artists, including Frans Hals. It was not until the late nineteenth century that her paintings were properly recognised and attributed back to her. A bit late, but better than never.

Maria van Oosterwijck (1630-1693)

Born near Delft in 1630, Maria van Oosterwijck developed her artistic skills early on and became best known for her intricate flower still lifes. We are talking carefully arranged bouquets, tiny insects, and symbolic objects, all painted with impressive precision. The level of detail alone is enough to make you do a double-take. 

Her painting process was not exactly quick. Van Oosterwijck worked in a very meticulous, time-intensive way, which meant she produced fewer works than some of her contemporaries. But what she did create was rich in meaning. Many of her pieces fall into the category of vanitas still lifes, exploring themes like faith, mortality, and the passage of time. Think skulls, Bibles, and delicate flowers, all carrying symbolic weight alongside their visual beauty. Not exactly light viewing, but fascinating nonetheless.

And she did not go unnoticed. During her lifetime, she gained international recognition and attracted some seriously high-profile patrons, including Louis XIV of France and Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. 

Interestingly, she was never admitted to a painters’ guild, which makes her success even more notable. Despite that, she built a strong career, and her works were highly valued and widely collected.

Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717)

Born in Germany in 1647, Merian moved to Amsterdam in the 1690s, where she became part of the city’s lively scientific and artistic scene. 

From a young age, this later-in-life "Dutchie" trained in drawing and painting, but what really set her apart was how she combined that artistic skill with careful observation of the natural world. Plants, insects, tiny details, nothing escaped her attention. 

Her artwork was not just about looking pretty. Merian created detailed watercolours and engravings showing insects at different stages of their life cycles, often alongside the plants they relied on. It might sound simple now, but at the time, this was quite groundbreaking. Many people still believed insects just appeared out of nowhere! Her work helped show that they actually went through a transformation, what we now call metamorphosis. Pretty impressive, right? 

One of her most ambitious projects came in 1699, when she travelled from the Dutch Republic to Suriname, then a Dutch colony. There, she studied tropical insects and plants in their natural environment. The result? Her famous publication Metamorphosis Insectorum Surinamensium in 1705, which brought her international recognition.

These days, Merian is remembered by historians as someone who bridged art and science in a way that feels surprisingly modern. An artist, a naturalist, and a careful observer, all in one.

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750)

Born in The Hague in 1664 and later active in Amsterdam, Ruysch showed artistic talent early on and went on to build an impressively long career, we are talking more than 60(!) years. During her lifetime, she became internationally famous, with collectors across Europe eager to get their hands on her work.

She was best known for her floral still lifes, and not the simple kind. Her paintings are packed with detail, every petal, leaf, and tiny insect carefully rendered with precision. What makes her work stand out even more is how dynamic it feels. Instead of neat, symmetrical bouquets, she often arranged her compositions in a more natural, slightly off-balance way, set against dark backgrounds that give everything depth and movement. The result? Flowers that almost seem to spill out of the canvas.

Her success was quite remarkable, especially at a time when female artists were rare. Ruysch became the first woman to join the artists’ society Pictura in The Hague and later worked as a court painter for the Elector Palatine. And she managed all of this while raising a large family, which makes her career even more impressive. No small feat!

Today, Ruysch is recognised as one of the leading still life painters of the Dutch Golden Age, known for her technical skill and the lifelike quality of her work.

Serious talent that should not be forgotten 

So, next time you find yourself admiring a Dutch masterpiece, it might be worth asking: who’s missing from the story? Because while names like Rembrandt and Vermeer tend to steal the spotlight, artists like Van Schurman, Leyster, Van Oosterwijck, Merian and Ruysch were quietly (and sometimes not so quietly!) doing remarkable things of their own. Different styles, different paths, but one thing in common: serious talent that deserves a little more attention. And honestly, isn’t it about time we gave it to them?