Description: Black chalk or graphite, red chalk, point of brush in grey, grey wash, 128 x 103 mm. There are faint traces of a sketch in black chalk, best visible around the hat. The face is retouched with a very fine brush, aided by a light wash. Ruled framing lines, except along the top, in brown ink. No watermark. Chain lines: 22–30 mm. Numbered at the lower edge, in pen and brown ink, 2012 (Sparre; changed from 2011) and 70 (struck out).

This type of female figure occurs repeatedly in Flinck’s oeuvre. Sumowski cites a “Shepherdess” in Braunschweig (1636), a “Girl in a rich dress with a dog” in Hamburg (late 1630s), and a “Lady in a rich dress” in Stockholm.  A woman dressed exactly the same is seen in Flinck’s painting The Lamentation in Paris, dated 1637.  A similar flat, wide hat is worn by a young woman with a dog, formerly in Zurich, attributed to Flinck’s pupil Johannes Spilberg. 

The style of the drawing, with somewhat loose and varied chalk hatching helped by some wash, is found in other drawings by Flinck. It also occurs in works by Jacob Backer, who has been mentioned in connection with this sheet. Their early work is easily confused. [Magnusson, Dutch Drawings no. 157]

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