It has been suggested that this portrait shows the family of Vincent Laurensz. van der Vinne (born 1629) on the basis of comparison with a drawing by Leendert van der Cooghen (1610 - 1681) in Berlin. However, the resemblance is very slight and this painting is quite unlike the work of van der Cooghen. The costumes suggest that the painting dates from the 1650s, possibly by an artist familiar with painting in Delft. The only certain record of Michiel Nouts is a signed and dated portrait by him in Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum). A stylistic resemblance between the two portraits forms the basis for the attribution of this one. Before 1900 the picture was cut in half. In 1915, after both halves had entered the collection, they were rejoined, and replacements of missing portions were added at the top, bottom and centre.