Lot 1551 Dα

With an inscription on the upper left: Ano. 1650 / Aete. 10

The present portrait has only recently been discovered after beeing in a private collection for nearly a century, and restoration has revealed its subtle original colouring from underneath a layer of discoloured varnish. It has been suggested by Dr Piet Bakkler that the portrait could be by the Frisian artist Mathijs Harings, who was active in Leeuwarden during the 17th century. Harings was associated with Wybrand de Geest (1592-1672), but whilst De Geest painted mostly sitters from the aristocracy, Harings tended to paint affluent burghers. The clothes of the unidentified boy place him in this class, possibly as a member of the "Doopsgezinde" (Baptist) faith. Dr Bakker compared our painting to a portrait dated 1648 of Claes Fontein in the Museum Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen, which is also thought to be by Harings.