This miniature is now in very poor condition, which makes it hard to imagine its original vivid colouring. It must have been very striking. Nevertheless, it is one of the most expert examples of Alexander Cooper's work. At this late date, the combination of the solid blue background and the bright rose colour of the costume would have seemed unconventional. It is more reminiscent of 16th-century miniatures than the ones that English miniaturists produced from the mid-1630s. These usually epitomised the sophisticated Baroque manner of Sir Anthony Van Dyck. Unconventional colour combinations and the use of unusual background colours distinguish Alexander Cooper's style.
