How did Anthony van Dyck portray the aristocratic women of Genoa?

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van Dyck, Anthony — Anthony van Dyck *Self-Portrait*, oil on canvas by Anthony Van Dyck, c. 1620–21; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. 119.7 × 87.9 cm.

Anthony van Dyck portrayed the aristocratic women of Genoa with an emphasis on grandeur and aristocratic refinement. In these portraits, which often featured full-length figures, the women were frequently depicted adorned in glitter and silk.1

A notable characteristic of these works is the subjects' expressions; some of the Genovese ladies were portrayed with a condescending look. Furthermore, consistent with the stylistic shifts in van Dyck's Italian period, these sitters were often painted turned away from the viewer, as if they were preoccupied with weightier matters.1