Follower of Adriaen Brouwer

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 15 April 1999, lot 25.

The actual painting is slightly less red in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single panel is flat and stable and bevelled on all sides. The paint surface has grown slightly thin in the background, but otherwise, seems to be in good condition. A repaired and retouched vertical crack is visible in the upper right corner. Minor strengthening can be observed in the figures on the bench in the foreground, in the teacher's cloak and hat, and in boy standing in the centre. The paint surface is covered with a dirty and slightly discoloured layer of varnish. Inspection under ultra violet light confirms the aforementioned retouchings and reveals additional tiny scattered retouchings in the background. Offered in a plain gilt wood frame, in fair condition. (MW)
"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."

Although the name of this artist is unknown, it is surely by the same hand as an oval painting on panel with the same subject in the J.G. Johnson Collection, Philadelphia Museum of Art (inv. no. 1694, photo in the files of the R.K.D., The Hague, as Follower of Adriaen Brouwer). 
The composition derives from a work by Brouwer in the Van Berg Collection, New York. The arrangement of the figures is also repeated, although in reverse, in a drawing by Ostade in the Rothman Collection, Berlin.