Studie voor het portret van mevrouw J. van der Vuurst de Vries-Godin

This lady took painting lessons from Jan Sluijters. She was by all accounts a rather introverted woman who reportedly suffered from religious delusions. Her solemn gaze presents a marked contrast to her bright clothing and exuberant hat. But the painting, for which this drawing is a preliminary sketch and which is also in the collection of the Stedelijk Museum, evokes an even deeper melancholic mood. Sluijters was in the habit of making preliminary sketches on paper before executing them in more expensive artist’s materials. The drawing was gifted to the museum in early 1958 by the Vereniging Rembrandt on the occasion of its 75th anniversary.