Attributed to Hendrick Ter Brugghen

Collection Duc de Brunswick;
Anonymous sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 25 November 1902, lot 166 (as attributed to Van Honthorst);
Collection Baron de Schenyas, Brussels;
Collection Jules Bouchery;
Private collection, Paris;
With Paul Botte, Paris;
Private collection, Switzerland, by 1960;
Anonymous sale, Versailles, Palais des Congrès, 18 February 1973, lot 69 (as wrongly measuring 100 by 66 cm).

T. von Frimmel, 'Bilder von seltenen Meistern', Helbing's Monatshefte 1 (1900-1901), p. 137 (as by Van Baburen);
Georg Göthe, Notice descriptive des tableaux du musée national de Stockholm. 1^e partie: Maîtres étrangers (non scandinaves), 3rd ed., Stockholm 1910, p. 343 (as probably by Ter Brugghen);
G. Isarlo, Les indépendants dans la peinture ancienne, Paris 1956, p. 166, fig. 107;
G. Isarlo, 'Les débuts du Vermeer', Connaissance des Arts, 15 February 1956, no. 48, p. 42, fig. 23;
B. Nicolson, Hendrick Terbrugghen, London 1958, p. 51;
B. Nicolson, 'Second thoughts about Terbrugghen', The Burlington Magazine, 1960, no. 2, p. 469, fig. 9 (as attributed to Ter Brugghen);
L.J. Slatkes, Dirck van Baburen (c. 1595-1624). A Dutch painter in Utrecht and Rome, Utrecht 1965, cat. no. E39 (as attributed to Ter Brugghen);
L.J. Slatkes and W. Stechow, Hendrick Terbrugghen in America, exhibition catalogue, Dayton/Baltimore 1965-6, p. 26, version B;
A. Blankert, et al., Nieuw licht op the gouden eeuw. Hendrick ter Brugghen en tijdgenoten, exhibition catalogue, Utrecht/Braunschweig 1986-7, p. 120, version 1;
B. Nicolson, Caravaggism in Europe, Turin 1989, vol. 1, p. 193, no. 1176/3;
L.J. Slatkes and W. Franits, The paintings of Hendrick ter Brugghen, 1588-1629, Catalogue Raisonné, Amsterdam 2007, p. 190, cat. no. TW7, version 2 (as by Ter Brugghen and his workshop).

The following condition report has been provided by Catherine Polnecq, 12 rue Saint-Sabin - 75011 Paris, Tel: 33 (0)1 48 05 30 53, Email: c.polnecq@hotmail.fr, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. Respectable overall condition. The canvas has been relined. Three edges have obviously been enlarged, from 7 cm to 10 cm - in the top, on the left and on the right of the composition. Under ultraviolet light: Four cleaning tests have been done and restored afterwards, showing the degree of worn: - In the neck of the young woman - In the neck of the lute player - In the right sleeve of the young woman - In her leg and blue drapery Some patches have been added in the back, between the original canvas and the relining, all around the painting where it has been enlarged, and to restore an horizontal tear in the lower part (35 cm). A restored horizontal tear (2cm/4 cm) is visible in the nose of the lute player. Between the two canvases, we note the development of a raised spot in the upper left corner, in the blue drapery.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This painting is one of three known versions of a Ter Brugghen composition dating from around 1625. The prime version, which is monogrammed HTB on the luteplayer's beret (105.5 by 86.4 cm), is that offered in New York, Sotheby's, 22 January 2004, lot 91.¹ A second version (108.5 by 85.7 cm), which is closer to the present work, was formerly with Dr. Knut Arndt in Germany.² In addition to these, numerous copies of lesser quality are also known.³

In 1625, upon his return to Utrecht after a stay of many years in Rome, Ter Brugghen settled upon his mature style and concentrated upon genre painting. This painting perfectly illustrates the impact of Caravaggism upon the North: a dramatic enveloping light which, typical of Caravaggio, accentuates the outline and sculptural effect of the figures.
 
The authenticity of the present work has been the subject of much scholarly discussion. In his work on Caravaggism, Nicolson linked this painting to the two other known versions.⁴ He accepted it as an autograph work by Ter Brugghen, while noting that the face of the young woman had been much repainted, making the picture more difficult to read. According to Slatkes and Franits, the prime version of the composition is entirely autograph, while the two unsigned versions are the work of Ter Brugghen with the assistance of his workshop.

We are grateful to Dr. Wayne E. Franits for his assistance with the cataloguing of this painting.

1. See Slatkes and Franits under Literature, p. 189, no. A74, reproduced plate 73).
2. Ibid., p. 190, no. TW6, version 1, reproduced plate 73a.
3. Ibid., pp. 190-1, nos. R95-7.
4. See Nicolson under Literature, 1989, p. 193, no. 1176.