School of Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

Earl of Dalhousie (L.717a)

Remains of backing strip down left edge, and remains of old backing top right corner, and top centre. Slight surface dirt, but otherwise 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.
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.

A significant group of Rembrandt school drawings bear the collector's mark of the Earl of Dalhousie, and since most are small sheets with one or more figure studies, it is generally assumed that they originate from a dismembered album of similar works.  Many of these drawings are -- or have in the past been -- attributed to Nicolaes Maes, and indeed the very presence of this mark has often been cited as evidence to support the attribution of a drawing to the artist, but modern scholarship recognises the work of several different hands amongst the Dalhousie drawings.  The present study seems to some extent reminiscent of drawings by Govaert Flinck, but no specific comparisons can be made that are sufficiently compelling to support a convincing attribution, so this must for now remain one of the many Rembrandt school drawings still in search of an author.