Portrait of a Woman in an Armchair, 1790 – 1800

About the Work

In his brush drawing, Johannes Pieter de Frey strove to replicate Verspronck’s oil painting as closely as possible. Of particular note in both works is the exquisitely detailed execution of the ruff and lace cuffs. In contrast, the drapery of the black dress appears somewhat simplified in the copy. Moreover, the brush marks remain visible in the watercolour, whereas the finish of the oil painting is perfectly smooth. Was the copy produced at the request of the descendants of the sitter, whose identity has not come down to us? In the absence of information about the exact purpose of the copy, we can only assume that it was inspired by the desire to have a reproduction of a much-esteemed work of art. The painting was sold at auction in Amsterdam in 1814 as the work of the renowned Rembrandt pupil Govaert Flinck. It was probably with this attribution that De Frey copied it.