- 30
Jan Miense Molenaer
Description
- Jan Miense Molenaer
- A man and a woman standing on barrels reading a newspaper out loud, surrounded by a group of figures, outside a tavern
- oil on canvas
Provenance
Exhibited
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."
Catalogue Note
This painting by Molenaer can be dated to the early 1630s and is therefore an early work by the artist, who only became a member of the Guild of St. Luke in Haarlem in 1634. A number of the motifs found here appear in other paintings by Molenaer from the same period, such as the gesture of the figure in the right foreground, pointing his finger to the scene beyond. This pointing gesture is something Molenaer favoured in the early 1630s, for instance in his Dance in a Village Street, in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Bonn, which can be dated 1630-1.1
The present work can also be closely compared to a painting sold in these Rooms, 15 November 2005, lot 88, of A Quack and his assistant advertising their wares in a village, which is also regarded as an early work. They are related not only in subject matter, both representing market squares with a large crowd watching, but also in the colour palette, and even in size. Often these market scenes were interpreted as mocking scenes of foolish peasants being tricked by quacks. In the present painting however, it seems that the news readers are handing out the news to everyone, children, peasants, soldiers, and that the only possiblity of being fooled, is through the news itself.
We are grateful to Dr. Dennis P. Weller for confirming the attribution on the basis of a photograph.
1. See D. P. Weller, Jan Miense Molenaer. Painter of the Dutch Golden Age, exhibition catalogue, Raleigh 2002, p. 37, cat. no. 6.