Portrait of a Man, half-length, in an inscribed oval frame

Thopas, living in Assendelft near Haarlem, drew refined portrait drawings like the present lot. His portraits are mostly dated between 1650 and 1676, such as those in the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin (E. Bock and J. Rosenberg, Die Zeichnungen Niederländischer Meister im Kupferstichkabinett zu Berlin, Berlin, 1930, nos. 5673 and 5679, illustrated) and the Graphische Sammlung, Munich, W. Wegner, Die Niederländischen Handzeichnungen des 15. bis 18. Jahrhunderts, Berlin, 1973, no. 954, illustrated. His sitters included Admiral Tromp and Czar Peter the Great. A similar but unfinished portrait was sold at Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 17 November 1975, lot 130, illustrated, giving further insight into his drawing technique.