Attributed to Reynier de la Haye The Hague circa 1640 - after 1695

The actual painting is softer in tone and has slightly less contrast than the illustration in the catalogue suggests. The canvas has a stiff relining, which has flattened the paint surface. The paint surface is slightly abraded to the background, but otherwise seems to be in good condition. Small scattered retouchings can be seen in the background, e.g. in the frame on the wall, as welll as some strengthenings. Furthermore minor strengthening can be seen along the head of the old woman and additional retouchings in the boys coat. The paint surface is under a thick and glossy layer of varnish and seems to be recently cleaned. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals the retouchings and strengthenings as mentioned above, as well as additional tiny retouchings throughout, e.g. in the woman's face, in the table cloth, in the glass, the chimney and the man's coat and face. Offered in a plain lacquered wood frame with gilt inlay in fair condition. (MW/ML)
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This interior scene can be attributed to Reynier de la Haye, who mostly painted genre paintings depicting elegant women in rich interiors, making music or merrymaking. In this work the influence of his predecessors like Caspar Netscher (1639-1684) and Jan Verkolje (1650-1693) is evident, not only in subject matter, but also in style. An almost identical version of this painting, with only one small difference in the hands of the lady, is in the Museum der Bildenden Künste, Leipzig (inv. no. 595). It was listed in the 1929 catalogue as by Jan Verkolje, but the R.K.D. now attributes it to De la Haye.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer of the R.K.D. for tentatively endorsing the attribution to De la Haye on the basis of photographs.