Girl by a High Chair

A girl aged around three poses next to a high chair. She is beautifully dressed and wearing gold jewellery. Her parents were clearly well off – they could afford to have their daughter’s portrait painted by Govert Flinck, one of Rembrandt’s best pupils.

Lying on the high chair are some sweet treats, made with sugar from Brazil. These connect the luxury world of this young girl to the harsh reality of the people working on the sugar plantations. A reality that often remained invisible in the Dutch Republic and Dutch painting.