This painting was probably painted in Leiden, shortly before Rembrandt moved to Amsterdam, as it bears the artist’s Leiden monogram RHL (Rembrandt Harmenszoon Leidenensis). However, recently some scholars have reattributed the work to Isack Jouderville, who was a pupil of Rembrandt at the time. Although there is a pallor in the flesh tones and a lack of strong modelling in this portrait there is no reason to classify it as a work of a pupil, rather than the master himself. The monogram and date appear to be genuine, although it could be argued that these were added by Rembrandt to give a studio replica authenticity. A copy on canvas, nearly identical in size, was in the Museum in Berne, and has been attributed to Govaert Flinck. It has been suggested that Flinck painted this when he was working in Rembrandt’s studio, c. 1633. Signed lower right: RHL [in monogram] 1631.