Portrait of a young gentleman, bust-length

Though predominantly known for his genre paintings, on occasion David Teniers also produced portraits, either of single figures or groups. A particularly early and successful example is Teniers’ large-scale canvas depicting members of the Oude Voetboog Guild in Antwerp’s Grote Markt (1643; State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg). Further small-scale portraits of individual sitters include a small copper depicting Maria Snijers (sold Koller, Zürich, 18 September 2015, lot 3043) and a pair on panel in the Fondation Custodia, Paris (inv. nos. 6530A and 6530B), all of which are traditionally dated to the 1640s while Teniers was resident in Antwerp. The present painting probably dates to 1653, a few years after Teniers relocated to Brussels, having been named court painter to Archduke Leopold Wilhelm. Its particularly refined handling can be compared with Teniers’ similarly scaled Portrait of Louis II de Bourbon, prince of Condé of the same year (Musée Condé, Chantilly).

Dr. Margret Klinge endorsed the painting’s attribution and proposed its dating following firsthand inspection prior to its 2009 sale.