Attributed to Anthonie Palamedesz, Dutch 1601-1673- Portrait of a lady, small-half-length, in a green and white dress with white collar, in a feigned oval; oil on panel, 21.5 x 16.2 cm. Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie’s, London, 12 December...

Attributed to Anthonie Palamedesz, Dutch 1601-1673- Portrait of a lady, small-half-length, in a green and white dress with white collar, in a feigned oval; oil on panel, 21.5 x 16.2 cm. Provenance: Anon. sale, Christie’s, London, 12 December 1996, lot 310.; The estate of the late designer Anthony Powell. Note: The present work is a remarkably powerful portrait, with its small scale creating a heightened sense of intimacy between the sitter and the viewer. The painting has been executed with incredibly fine brushstrokes, thereby creating a sensitive and life-like depiction, and allowing the artist to evoke a strong sense of the sitter’s presence. The style and subject-matter situate the painting firmly in the context of the 17th-century Netherlands, particularly evident in the elaborate clothing of the sitter, with her sumptuous lace collar recalling those depicted in the portraits of contemporary artists such as Frans Hals (1582-1666). The formal, restrained pose of the sitter imbues her with a sense of gravitas which, along with her rich garments and gleaming pearls, emphasise her status and wealth. Born in Leith, Scotland, Palamedesz’s father was an artist in the service of the Scottish King James VI. His family moved to Delft in the Dutch Republic when Palamedes was still young, and it was there that he received his training under leading portrait painter Michiel Jansz. van Mierevelt (1566-1641) and history and genre painter Hans Jordaens (1555-1630).
The panel is secure in the frame and sits well. The paint surface is stable on the support. Some losses to the paint surface, particularly at the left and lower edges and where the feigned oval meets the dark background to the right. Some further areas where the paint appears thin. Some minor scratches, abrasions, marks and surface dirt. The painted details, especially to the sitter's face, hair and dress are very well preserved. Under UV lamp, old retouching to the feigned oval line in the round, to the left corners, to a small area to the right of the sitter's head (her left, either side of the oval line), and some tiny and localised spots to (presumably) soften some of the natural circular irregularities in the panel around the sitter's head. Very little to no retouching to the sitter herself. Overall in very good near original condition.