Willem van Herp I

Anonymous sale (`The Property of an European Noble Family’), London, Sotheby’s, 7 December 1988, lot 118, for £165,000;
With French & Co., New York, 1993;
Private collection, U.S.A.;
With Noortman Master Paintings, Maastricht.

Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, 22 September 1993 -3 January 1994, Toledo, Museum of Art, 2 February-24 April 1994, The Age of Rubens, no. 74.

E. Greindl et al, De Gouden Eeuw van de Vlaamse Schilderkunst, Antwerp 1990, p. 276, reproduced;
P.C. Sutton, The Age of Rubens, exhibition catalogue, Boston 1993, pp. 439-440, no. 74, reproduced. 

The panel has some slight undulations in the upper right, but this is only noticeable to touch and under raking light. Otherwise it is flat and stable, and protected by a recently-aded wood casing on the back. The paint is in exceptionally good state, with all the various textures superbly preseved: the whispy hair of a young man, the greasy hair of an old woman, the metallic shine of copper sieve, the cool surface of a jug, the ruddy dog, the bristly hair of the cat. An old varnish makes inspection under Ultraviolet light somewhat difficult due to its milky apperance, but what can be seen are tiny scattered dots of cosmetic retouching. The faces have had no work done to them. This absolutely charming work is sold in a simple dark wood frame, in good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

When sold in these Rooms in 1988, this picture was previously unknown.  Van Herp specialized in painting small scale works inspired by both Rubens and David Teniers the Younger.  One of his two known dated works, a Merry Company of 1654 in the collection of the Duke of Sutherland reveals a strong debt to the latter.  This picture, beautifully preserved on a large sheet of flat copper, and of outstanding quality, is likely to be later in date, probably from the 1660s. Teniers’ influence has diminished: the colour key is lower and more burnished in tone, and the composition has become more complex, and articulated through the heightened chiaroscuro.