Besides scenes of everyday life, Gerrit Dou also produced a number of small, meticulously executed and elegant portraits. The sitter's identity has not yet been determined. She has the past been identified as the artist's wife, but in fact Dou never married.
On grounds of style and costume this portrait can be dated to about 1655. There are pentimenti (alterations made by the artist to an area already painted) in the neck of the chemise.
