A bearded old man reading, wearing a brown coat and a golden chain, half-length

Daniël de Koninck hailed from a prominent family of painters and goldsmiths, among them his uncle Philips Koninck (1619-1688), a landscape painter who may have trained with Rembrandt. As a young man, Daniël studied in Copenhagen with his cousin Jacob Coning (1648-1724). In 1690 he moved to England, where he established a successful business painting portraits as well as tronies and oriental figures in the manner of Rembrandt.

At the time of the 2005 sale, Professor Dr. Werner Sumowski suggested the attribution to Daniël de Koninck and dated the painting to the early 18th century.