Attributed to Gerrit Dou

Single panel is uncradled, flat, stable and beveled on all four sides. Five battens are affixed to verso to repair an old split in panel. Discolored retouchings along split are visible to naked eye, especially in the vertical fleshtones of Magdalene. Minor abrasions are visible along upper and lowermost edge, most likely due to rubbing from an old frame. Under an old milky varnish which renders any restoration undetectable by U.V. with the exception of aforementioned abrasions and upper and lower most edges.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This moving depiction of the penitent Magdalene by candlelight demonstrates, just as Hermit at Prayer (see previous lot) does, the keen ability of Dou and the Leiden school of fijnschilders to capture with incredible beauty a mood of intimacy and serenity.   Also, like his hermits at prayer, Dou's Magdalenes inspired a proliferation of works of this subject by the artist's followers and imitators, as seen, perhaps most successfully, in the works of his pupil Godfried Schalcken, who painted at least a half dozen versions of the subject.

The present picture relates most closely to Dou's Penitent Magadalene, now in the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, NM 393.