Gerald de Lairesse was born in Liège but settled in Amsterdam where he became the leading exponent of the French academic style in painting from the late 1660s until he went blind in 1690. His views on art theory and practice were collected in two influential books: Grondlegginge der Teekenkunst (1701) and Het Groot Schilderboek (1707) . The identification of the sitter here as Gerard de Lairesse, which dates to at least the mid-nineteenth century, can be substantiated by reference to his self-portrait engraved by Peter Schenk. However, an early attribution of the miniature to Joseph Werner (1637-1710) who worked in Paris from 1662 until 1666 or 1667 is not correct, as the style of painting does not resemble Werner's.