By the 1640s the Amsterdam art scene was under the spell of Rembrandt, who had moved there from his home town of Leiden in 1632. Rembrandt’s portraits were revolutionary in their emphasis on the character and personality of his sitters, conveyed through physiognomy rather than symbols and iconography. His example had a decisive and immediate effect on other Amsterdam artists, such as Abraham de Vries, a skilful and highly regarded portraitist. This work is so accomplished that it was mistakenly attributed to Rembrandt, as evidenced by a later inscription of his name which was removed in the early twentieth century.