Portrait From The Dutch School, Circa 1670, Young Lady In A Garden Before A Balustrade

Dutch school, circa 1670. Gouache on parchment laid down on a wooden support (oak). Dimensions: 17 × 14 cm (without frame); 19 × 21 cm (with frame).

The painting depicts a young lady shown half-length, positioned in front of a balustrade accompanied by an architectural column. With one hand she holds the edge of her dress, a measured gesture characteristic of female portraiture around 1670. The hairstyle, with a central parting and softly arranged locks framing the face, reflects the fashion of the period and supports the proposed dating.

The compositional scheme combining column, balustrade and garden relates to the reduced-format portrait of representation current in the Netherlands around 1670. The use of parchment is consistent with small-scale works intended for refined settings; the gouache technique allows for a precise rendering of the flesh tones and textiles.

On the reverse are numerous impressions of red sealing wax bearing partially legible noble coats of arms, together with traces of earlier mountings, attesting to a documented collecting provenance and the work’s passage through previous collections.