Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy

In the collection of family of the present owner since at least 1980.

This exquisitely preserved portrait by Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy, dated 1622 and inscribed with the sitter’s age of 27, ranks among the artist’s earliest known works. Depicted with impeccable realism and attention to detail, this captivating work exemplifies Pickenoy’s consummate abilities as a portrait painter. The sitter is depicted in a lavish black dress intricately embroidered with gold thread and lace-trimmed cuffs, and a richly ornamented girdle terminating in a pendant pomander. She is crowned by an elaborate millstone ruff and a delicate, lace-edged cap. The remarkable condition of the panel allows for the appreciation in mesmerising detail of Pickenoy’s meticulous technique, particularly evident in the depiction of the sitter's shimmering brocade bodice, her finely detailed jewelry and crisply articulated lace cuffs and headpiece.

Born in Amsterdam to Flemish parents, Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy emerged as one of the leading portraitists of his hometown during the second quarter of the 17th century. He established his studio on the Sint Antoniesbreestraat, neighbouring other prominent artists including Rembrandt (1606–1669) and the mapmaker Willem Blaeu (1571–1638). Celebrated for his refined technique and incisive likenesses, Pickenoy’s clientele consisted largely of Amsterdam’s patrician elite—regents, merchants, and members of civic institutions.

The inscription on the present work is particularly comparable to that found on a pair of portraits by the artist sold at Sotheby's, New York, in January 2022 for $1,084,800.¹ We are grateful to Dr Fred G. Meijer for endorsing the attribution to Nicolaes Eliasz. Pickenoy on the basis of digital images.

¹ Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 27 January 2022, lot 29; https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/master-paintings-sculpture-part-i/portrait-of-a-man-in-black-holding-a-pair-of-kid