Portrait of a young woman, possibly Sientje Tadema, a niece of the painter

"This is typical Tadema. For example, at the top of the collar, you can see that he very nearly stabs the pencil through the paper, while the face is very finely done. What was very annoying is that this early drawing was glued to acidic cardboard. That was a major concern: should we buy the drawing or not? Would we succeed in separating it from the cardboard? The work would continue to deteriorate if nothing was done about that cardboard. That’s why the drawing has just spent some time with paper restorer Francien van Dalen. Now the lady is more defined and looks fresher."

Marlies Stoter
curator Old Art

Its most likely to be a portrait of his niece Sientje Tadema. This portrait was offered to the museum by someone who found it at a flea market in Brussels, Belgium.