The artist was a daughter of Frederick V and Elizabeth Stuart, and therefore a sister of both the sitter and her more famous brother, Price Rupert (1619-1682). She was educated at Leyden University, and became a pupil of Gerrit Honthorst at The Hague.

Another version of the present lot is in the collection of the Fürst zu Salm-Salm at Anholt Castle, Germany (see A.W. Vliegenthart, Cat. Bildersammlung der Fürsten zu Salm, pp. 140-1, illus., inv. no. 729). The identification of the Anholt version as by Louise Hollandine and of Sophie, Princess Palatine as the sitter is based on the inventory of 1700. Princess Sophie married Ernst August of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1658, and her eldest son George (1660-1727) was to be the future King George I of England.

For a discussion of Louise Hollandine and her painting activities, see A. von Rohr, 'Peint par Louise Hollandine', Louise Hollandine Prinzessin von der Pfalz (1622-1709), in Niederdeutsche Beiträge zur Kunstgeschichte, 1989, 28, pp. 143-160 (the Anholt version mentioned on p. 157, no. 22a, p. 148, fig. 9)

The present lot may also represent an Allegory of the Continent of America

We are grateful to Mr. Willem L. van de Watering for the above entry