Attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck (Antwerp 1599-1641 London)

This portrait appears to relate to a series of heads that Van Dyck created during his second Antwerp period (1627-1632). It is known in two other versions, both of which are on canvas (E. Larsen, The Paintings of Anthony van Dyck, Freren, 1988, II, pp. 34-5, nos. 57-8), which Larsen believed to be likenesses of Rubens. While this identification is unlikely, the fact that this is on paper suggests that it may have been a preparatory study.

The portrait is executed on paper which was mounted on panel at an early date: Dendrochronological analysis dates the panel to as early as 1662-1672 (certificate available upon request).