Portrait of painter

Portrait of a Painter from around 1680, attributed to Judith Leyster's circle, may depict a fellow artist or represent a later work from the tradition she established in Haarlem. The identification of the sitter as a painter adds art-historical interest to the portrait, suggesting either a self-portrait in professional guise or a tribute to a colleague within the Haarlem artistic community. Leyster's portraits demonstrate complete command of the conventional three-quarter-length format, rendered with assured brushwork in costume and careful attention to individual likeness. Her portraits were occasionally misattributed to Frans Hals until the twentieth century, when scholarly reattribution restored the full scope of her independent achievement. The late date and private collection context of this work make attribution complex, but it testifies to the continuing influence of Leyster's manner in Haarlem portraiture through the later seventeenth century.

The painter is rendered with direct, naturalistic observation, the professional attributes and confident expression conveying artistic identity.