Follower of Caravaggio

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 6 July 1992, lot 19 (as Dutch School, 17^th Century), where bought by the present owner

Overall impression a little darker and less silvery than in catalogue illustration. Overall condition good and strong. Large round stain at right edge, towards top. Small, light brown stains at left edge (towards top corner and below centre). Touches of brown pigment (not mentioned in catalogue under "media") around mouth.
"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."

This very arresting and intriguing study has defied easy attribution.  It has both Italian and Northern characteristics and seems to be datable to the first half of the 17th century.  The face is so vivid and individual that it must be a portrait, but one might still expect to be able to relate the type to a specific artist's work.  Such women do appear in the paintings of artists following Caravaggio.  Very few drawings by those painters, whether they be Italian, French or Dutch, have survived or been identified.  Accustomed as we are to the idea that artists made drawings and preserved them for their students, it is hard to realise that attitudes must have changed in the wake of Caravaggio.  The present study should be considered as a rare survival from that milieu: the facial type and the technique accord with the period, and the overriding community of style and subject matter could explain the difficulty of even being certain of the nationality of the draughtsman.