Google Doodle honors Dutch painter Judith Leyster

Dec. 19 (UPI) -- Her achievements were almost lost to history, but 17th-century painter Judith Leyster's talent is now well known. So much so, that she was honored with a Google Doodle on Monday.

Born in Haarlem in 1609, historians believe she was a prodigy who showed her talent early on. When she was 19, poet Samuel Ampzing called Leyster an artist of "good and keen insight."

When she completed her first officially known painting, Serenade and Jolly Topper in 1629, she signed it in what would become her distinguishing mark -- her initials J.L., topped by a star to incorporate her last name, which means "lodestar." Just a few years later, Leyster was admitted to Haarlem's' famous painter's guild and set up her own studio to showcase her work and teach aspiring artists.

Despite finding financial success with her art, her work went unknown as it was believed that only men had the talent to paint with such skill. Her paintings were attributed to a male artist until a sharp-eyed art aficionado noticed Leyster's distinct signature didn't match up to the artist who received credit for it. Once confirmed, scholars recognized more than 30 of Leyster's paintings.

Leyster died in 1660 at age 50.

In 2009, the National Gallery of Art and the Franz Hals museum in Haarlem held a retrospective of her work.