Alexander Cooper was the first British miniaturist to pursue the greater part of his career abroad, and perhaps for this reason, his life and work is less well-chronicled than that of his better-known elder brother, Samuel. Although both brothers were brought up by their uncle, the court miniaturist John Hoskins, Sandrart claimed in 1683 that Alexander Cooper was trained by Peter Oliver, and John Murdoch argues that the stylistic evidence supports this claim, seeing the influence of Oliver and Hilliard in the bright, jewel-like colours used by Alexander Cooper. These were by mid-century somewhat at odds with the subtler, more muted colours favoured by his brother, but were 'directly analagous to the Continental enamel'. Alexander Cooper is also not known to have adopted the landscape background format made popular by Hoskins. Both of these stylistic features are at odds with the present work which is, however, a reduction from a full-scale portrait of Charles Louis, Elector Palatine by Gerrit van Honthorst dated 1642 (private collection). Alexander Cooper is thought to have worked in Holland for the exiled King and Queen of Bohemia and their retinue from 1631 onwards, and first painted Charles Louis, the eldest surviving son of Frederick V and Elizabeth of Bohemia, c. 1632 (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, P25-1932). Cooper was later appointed court painter to Queen Christina of Sweden (1647) and is also recorded working in Denmark towards the end of his career before returning to England c. 1656.