Aleijda Wolfsen (22 October 1648 – 25 August 1692) was a Dutch Golden Age painter known primarily for portraiture. Born in Zwolle, she was the daughter of Hendrik Wolfsen, a wealthy mayor, and Aleijda Verwers. In 1657 her family relocated to The Hague, though they retained their residence in Zwolle.
Wolfsen received artistic training as a pupil of the portraitist Caspar Netscher, who himself had studied under Gerard ter Borch. She maintained connections with the Netherlandish art community; her name appears repeatedly as a witness to the births of Netscher’s children, indicating close familial ties.
On 5 October 1667 she married Pieter Soury, mayor of Zwolle, in Rijswijk. Despite the marriage—a circumstance that often curtailed women’s artistic activity at the time—Wolfsen continued to paint. Her earliest signed work dates from 1670 and her latest from 1691. Her oeuvre consists mainly of portraits of acquaintances and family members, supplemented by a few historical allegories.
Among her notable commissions was a portrait of William III of England painted in 1674. Contemporary writer Jacob Campo Weyerman referred to her as a “Penseel‑Prinses” (brush princess), reflecting the high regard in which she was held.
Wolfsen died in childbirth on 25 August 1692, leaving ten surviving children aged two to twenty‑two. Her work is documented in several Dutch art historical databases, including the RKD (Netherlands Institute for Art History).