THE INDISTINCT INITIALS SEEM TO BE THOSE OF ISAAC VAN OOSTEN, THE OBSCURE ANTWERP LANDSCAPIST. HOWEVER, THE STYLE IS NOT SIMILAR TO THAT GENERALLY ASSOCIATED WITH HIM, NOR IS THE SCALE AND CONFIDENT, FLUID HANDLING. AN EXPLANATION MAY LIE IN THE OBSERVATION MADE BY J. DE MAERE AND M. WABBES, ILLUSTRATED DICTIONARY OF 17TH CENTURY FLEMISH PAINTERS, 1994, P. 307, THAT VAN OOSTEN WAS SUCCESSIVELY INFLUENCED BY LANDSCAPISTS OF WIDELY DIFFERING STYLES AND THE PRESENT WORK WOULD BE OUTSTANDING IN HIS OEUVRE AS IS SO FAR KNOWN. THE STAFFAGE MAY WELL BE THE WORK OF HANS JORDAENS III.
THE FLOWER-STREWN AND CONCAVE-MOULDED FRAME, EDGED WITH A CABOUCHON-ENRICHED RIBBON-GUILLOCHé MOULDING AND A SERPENTINED RIBBON-BORDER, IS DESIGNED IN THE GEORGE II 'PICTURESQUE' MANNER AND EMBELLISHED WITH ROMAN FOLIAGE COMPRISING FRETTED ACANTHUS-BUD CARTOUCHES BETWEEN LARGER FOLIATE-SPRAY CARTOUCHES AT THE CENTRES AND CORNERS. A RELATED FRAME-PATTERN WAS PUBLISHED BY MESSRS. INCE & MAYHEW IN THEIR UNIVERSAL SYSTEM OF HOUSEHOLD FURNITURE, 1762, PL. LXXXVIII