Extreme high quality portrait miniature on cooper was executed in 1920-1630s , depicting, due to the backside inscription, the Earl of Southhampton. The miniature  is the typical early work by world- famous and high-quoted English - Dutch portrait and miniature painter Cornelius Janssens van Ceulen (1593 London - 1661 Untrecht). Artist`s portraits and miniatures arrive high results by international auctions. For comparison see few additional photos of auction results.

The artist was an English painter of portraits of Dutch or Flemish parentage. He has been described as "one of the most gifted and prolific portrait painters practising in England during the 1620s and 1630. Janssens´ first dated work is 1617, and may be of a Dutch subject; 1619 marks the beginning of his English portraits, which were initially heads only. He was one of the few artists in England at this time who consistently signed and dated their work, except for his later full-lengths, which his clients may have hoped would be mistaken for more expensive Van Dycks. He may have been successful in this, as some full-length portraits attributed to van Dyck´s workshop may well be by him. His first identified three-quarter length is dated 1623, and shows a certain lack of skill in dealing with the body, which is overcome in later works. His early portraits were panel paintings with "fictive" oval frames - they appear to have a wooden or marble oval surround, but this is actually painted on to the panel. This "trompe l`oeil" effect was one of Janssens’ favourite devices in the early part of his career. He also painted some portrait miniature on copper. He painted many portraits of emerging new gentry, including Lady Rose MacDonnell of Antrim. One of his earliest surviving portraits is of Susanna Temple, grandmother of sara, Duchess Marlborough.This portrait was subsequently engraved by Robert White towards the end of the seventeenth century. In 1632, Janssens was appointed as a “his Majesty´s servant in the quality of Picture drawer” by Charles I, perhaps in connection with the arrival of Van Dyck and the departure from England of Daniel Mytens - Janssens may have been found a role as a back-up for Van Dyck..His royal portraits include Charles I as well as Charles II and James II, painted as children, both of which are in the National Portrait Gallery (London). He collaborated with Gerard Houckgeest on a portrait of Charles I´s wife, Queen Henrietta Maria. His style varies considerably over his career, and he was able to assimilate new influences into his own style without any discordant effect. He took from, in turn, Mytens, van Dyck, and William Dobson, and his last Dutch portraits show a different style reflecting contemporary portraiture there.

Literature:  Thieme/Becker "Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Künstler.."Leipzig, 1999 ;

Inscription: signed with initials ´CsJ f.(fecit) in the middle right , on reverse of cover - old inscription with names of artist and sitter.

Technique: oil on cooper. Antique hand-crafted and gold-plated frame .

Measurements: 3 1/2 " x 4 3/8 " (9 x 11cm), framed 6 " x 8 " (15 x 20 cm).

Condition:  in very good condition.