Attributed to Joos van Craesbeeck

Dr. C. Dunscombe;
By whom sold, London, Christie's, 9 June 1972, lot 36 (as by J. van Craesbeeck).

The actual painting is less red in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The copper plate is sound and has been laid down on panel. No damages are apparent and the paint surface is in fair condition. A few tiny retouched paint losses are visible to the lower left and tiny retouchings can be observed in the figure's coat centre right, and in his beard. Inspection under Ultra-Violet light, furthermore, reveals tiny scattered retouchings in the figure's face and hair, in his arm, in the jug, and a somewhat larger spot of retouching in the collar. The paint surface is under a slightly dirty and shiny layer of varnish. Offered in a decorative gilt wood frame, with a few chips. (MW)
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This composition is derived from a lost original by Adriaen Brouwer (1605/6-1638), and was part of a series of tronies portraying the seven sins.¹ Van Craesbeeck repeated the figure of Gluttony on several occasions. In her monograph on Van Craesbeeck, Karolien de Clippel lists six versions of this composition, five of which she considers copies.² This painting is not listed. However, comparing the present work to other known versions such as the one in the Museo Civico, Treviso (inv. no. P149), and that sold in these Rooms, 6 May 1997, lot 21 (as attributed to Joos van Craesbeeck), it seems of high quality.

1. See K. de Clippel, 'Adriaen Brouwer, portrait painter: new identifications and an iconographic novelty', in Simiolus, vol. 30, no. 3/4, 2003, pp. 196-216.
2. K. de Clippel, Joos van Craesbeeck (1605/06-ca.1660), een Brabants genreschilder, Turnhout 2006, cat. no. C3.5, pp. 289-91.