Lot Essay
The sitter was the daughter of Johann Albrecht I von Solms-Braunfels, House Steward of the Winter King, and Agnes von Sayn-Wittgenstein; she was the sister of Amalia van Solms, who married Frederik Hendrik, Stadtholder of the United Provinces. In 1620 she married Christoffel zu Dohna (1583-1637), Governor of the Principality of Orange. The prototype for this portrait type is that in the Huis ten Bosch, one of a series that includes portraits of Elisabeth, Princess Palatine and Johanna von Hanau.
When in exile in The Hague, the 'Winter Queen' continued to add to her collection of portraits. This eventually passed to her loyal friend, William, 1st Earl of Craven, upon whose generosity she long depended. The collection was divided between his three houses, Hampstead Marshall and Ashdown in Berkshire, and Combe Abbey in Warwickshire.
When in exile in The Hague, the 'Winter Queen' continued to add to her collection of portraits. This eventually passed to her loyal friend, William, 1st Earl of Craven, upon whose generosity she long depended. The collection was divided between his three houses, Hampstead Marshall and Ashdown in Berkshire, and Combe Abbey in Warwickshire.