A Tronie

A lost tronie, or head study, owned by the The Hague and London sculptor Jean Larson and recorded at his death. It was sold in 1664 as “a principal by Van der Meer,” the wording stressing that it was an autograph original rather than a copy, for the modest price of 10 guilders. Larson appears to have acquired it by about 1660, possibly directly from the painter. Its early date makes it unlikely to be any of the surviving tronies such as Girl with a Pearl Earring or the Study of a Young Woman, which are dated later.