Eva Geelvinck (1619-1698) was twenty when she married Hendrick Bicker on 1 March 1639 – she would have been considered well into marriageable age at the time. This painting is the pendant to the portrait of Hendrick Bicker, which hangs behind this one. Marriage, during this period, and especially within the higher echelons of society, was never without its political or economical interests. A spouse could not be chosen freely, as both sets of parents had to be satisfied with the union of their two families. This was particularly true for the city Regents – the governing elite among the city’s administrators and merchants – for whom a choice in partner was linked both to status and to political and commercial considerations. The Bicker family was an exceptionally good choice for the Geelvincks, who were themselves not without means. Eva’s father had served as mayor of Amsterdam several times, and owned a country estate. Eva and Hendrick had two children: Agatha (1647-1718) and Hendrick (1649-1718).