Abraham van Diepenbeeck was born in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in 1596. He was first taught by his father, Jan Roelofsz. van Diepenbeeck, who was a glass painter. Abraham was first recorded in 1622 as a glass painter in the Antwerp guild. He was further trained by a certain Abraham van Lamoen (a still life painter about whom we otherwise known little to nothing). It has been hotly debated whether or not he was also trained by Rubens; it is however certain that they collaborated on several projects. (For instance, the print for the title page of Torniello’s Annales Sacri was signed by Rubens as well as by van Diepenbeeck.) It would not be inaccurate to state that van Diepenbeeck was an assistant to Rubens of sorts. In 1636 he was registered as a poorter  – citizen – of Antwerp; in 1638 he became a member of the local Guild of St Luke.

In the 1620’s he was mainly active as a designer of prints for books, stained-glass windows and tapestries; it was only later on that he would focus on painting. Van Diepenbeeck travelled to Great Britain in 1629; in 1632 he went to Paris and Fontainebleau, on assignment for Rubens. His collaboration with Rubens however did not prevent him from undertaking independent projects as a painter and engraver as well. While in England during the reign of Charles I, for instance, he painted several portraits, including that of the 1st Duke of Newcastle; he also illustrated the latter’s book on horsemanship.

The present drawing is a superb example of van Diepenbeeck's skill as a portraitist. Not a great many portraits by his hand are known, and drawn ones seem to be even rarer. The sitter in our work is calmly and confidently looking towards us, with perhaps a hint of a smile on his face. Although his identity is yet unknown, judging by his clothing he must have been a cardinal. The column and drapery in the background are only rudimentarily sketched.

Fascinatingly, our drawing belonged to one of the most important seventeenth-century collectors of drawings, Prosper Henry Lankrink. A painter and art dealer himself, he amassed an impressive collection of works on paper, including many a sheet by van Dyck and Rubens. His collection was dispersed in two sales, held respectively in May 1693 and February 1694. The fact that our sheet, too, belonged to Lankrink speaks of its quality, which was evidently already appreciated early on.