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). Please refer to department for condition report