Hollar’s portrait of an African girl

In 1645, after his escape from the Parliamentary forces that had captured him as part of the Royalist regiment and his return to Antwerp, Hollar published a number of portraits, the most remarkable of which show three diasporic African people. The present image shows an African girl wearing a laced bonnet and collar over neat dress, appearing to smile at the viewer. Unfortunately almost all the subjects of Hollar’s portraits remain anonymous.