German School; c. 1614.

German School; c. 1614.
"Portrait of Johanna Megirus."
Oil on panel.
It has an old Dutch frame.
Measurements: 26 x 18 cm; 55 x 48 cm (frame).
In this work the artist immortalizes the figure of Johanna Megirus (Tübingen, 1593-1638) who was the only daughter of the jurist Doctor and Rector of the University of Tübingen, David Megirus, and of the first wife of this one, Johanna Graseck. In January 1615, a few months after painting her in this portrait, at the age of 20, she was sentenced to imprisonment by the Academic Senate of the University, in a swift exemplifying process, having become pregnant, before marriage, by Isaac Andler, son of another notable professor in Law of the same College. The father of the future child and those who facilitated the couple's amorous encounters also went to jail. The harsh prison conditions were softened, transferring her to a chamber of the University itself and, close to the birth, with the political help of her father, who was also advisor to Elector John Sigismund of Brandenburg, her sentence was commuted to a financial penalty. She married Isaac that same year, and their first son Johann David was born in April. They would have two more children.
The portrait follows the model of the time, thus confirming the aesthetic canons of the baroque portrait. In it the protagonist is arranged in the center of the scene and shows her long bust, but slightly turned in three quarters framed in a neutral background of which only a folded curtain is visible, as usual. In the upper left area is the name and title of her father, the year in which it is painted and the age of the protagonist. The protagonist is shown dressed in a black velvet doublet, over a light dress, which appears in its lower part: ruff and cuffs finished with lace. The neck is adorned with a large gold chain, which harmonizes with the pearl earrings. The young woman is shown with her hands clasped, both holding a gentleman's glove. The author shows us a certain candor of the protagonist by introducing anecdotally the lap dog that leans on the skirt trying to claim the attention of its owner.