Portrait of a lady, traditionally identified as Queen Henrietta Maria (1609-1669), half-length, in a black dress with white lace collar tied with blue ribbons

By 1635, the date of the present work, Cornelis Johnson was well-established as a successful portraitist in London. He received commissions from the emerging English gentry, professionals, courtiers, and enjoyed royal patronage as ‘Picture drawer’ to Charles I. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War, Johnson and his family moved to the Netherlands, spending time in Middelburg, Amsterdam and The Hague before ultimately settling in Utrecht, where he remained until his death in 1661.
In 1921, the painting was recorded in the collection of James Thursby-Pelham, a renowned early twentieth-century collector and leading expert in English furniture.

We are grateful to Karen Hearn for her thoughts on the painting.