As a young painter newly arrived in Amsterdam, Rembrandt rapidly gained fame for his stylish portraits of Dutch burghers. Paired images of couples were common in the Netherlands; this painting and its companion, MFA Object No. 93.1475, show an unidentified husband and wife. Rembrandt captures the viewer's attention with his vivid presentation of the woman's engaging personality and the dazzling rendering of her multi-layered lace collar and gold chain. Rembrandt's technique was already daring; he has scratched the highlights of his subject's curly hair into the wet paint with the butt end of his brush.