Studio of Gerrit van Honthorst

By descent to the sitter's mother Elizabeth of Bohemia who bequeathed her portraits to William 1st Baron and Earl of Craven (1608-1697), Coombe Abbey;
Thence by family descent until sold London, Phillips, 18 December 1984, lot 30, (bt. for £5,000) where purchased by the current owners.

Combe Abbey Inventory, 1866, no. 300;
W.J. Hoogsteder, De Schilderijen van Frederik en Elizabeth Koning en Koningen van Bohemen, 1988, Doctoral thesis, I, p. 131, no. 84; II, p. 25; III, p. 77;
J.R. Judson and R.E.O. Ekkart, Gerrit van Honthorst, Ghent 1999, p. 280,  cat. no. 377 (1).

STRUCTURE The panel is supported by three horizontal batons at the back and is providing a flat and stable support for the painting. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition. There is no visible damage or loss of paint. There is a slightly discoloured varnish overall. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the opacity of the varnish and reveals scattered minor infilling to craquelure and some retouching overall. FRAME Held in a dark painted wooden frame with a gilded inner edge. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The sitter was the ninth child and third daughter of Frederick Elector Palatine and his wife Elizabeth. Named after her godmother Henrietta Maria, wife of her uncle Charles I, she was born in The Hague where her family were in exile following her father's disastrous defeat in Bohemia. She loved the domestic life, particularly needlework, and though, in the words of her sister Sophie, she had a complexion "literally of lilies and roses" she suffered from ill health. In 1651 she married Prince Sigismund Rakoczy von Siebenbürgen, but died within five months of the marriage. This portrait is the latest of six recorded portraits of her by Honthorst, the earliest being in 1636 when she was ten years old. It is probably the best surviving version of this type of which there are two others in collections at Drottningholm and The Hague.