Unknown Artist (follower of Aelbert Cuyp)

A young girl, shown in a three-quarter view, looks up toward the viewer. Her eyes are calm and mildly inquiring, and the slight smile engaging her full lips conveys a sense of security and contentment. The artist has skillfully captured his young sitter’s innocence, with all its attendant charm. The warmth and informality with which the subject is presented – not conventional for portraits – may be the result of a close relationship between subject and artist. It seems possible that the artist was portraying a family member, and not the child of a paying patron.