Sandpaper: Judith Leyster

Judith Leyster (1609-1660) has a slim catalogue of attributed works, though those that do survive show considerable talent. She was active for the brief period of her adult life before having children. Her style has been compared to that of her more famous contemporary, Franz Hals, and they ran rival workshops in Amsterdam. She was largely forgotten after her death, but when the Louvre bought a Hals in 1893, it was discovered, after cleaning, to be the work of Leyster. As male painters fetch a much higher price, dealers often changed signatures and monograms to more famous contemporaries. Prints are available to buy