Circle of Gerard ter Borch

Héris collection, Brussels;
Baron Verstolk van Soelen, The Hague, until 1846;
The Earls of Northbrook, London, by 1846 and until at least 1911;
Leonard Gow Esq, D.L., LL.D., Camis eskan, Dunbartonshire;
His deceased sale, London, Christie's, 28 May 1937, lot 116 (as Gerard Terburg), for £850 to Tooth;
Possibly E. Nicolas, Paris, 1958;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, 1963;
Anonymous sale, Cologne, Lempertz, 20-22 November 1975, lot 134.

London, Grafton Galleries, 1911, no. 78, where lent by the Earl of Northbrook .

J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné..., vol. IV, London 1833, p. 122, under cat. no. 14 (as a duplicate of a painting by Ter Borch in the collection of  M. Six van Hillegom);
G. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, vol. II, London 1854, p. 183 (as by Ter Borch and in the collection of Thomas Baring at Stratton);
W.H. James Weale & Dr. J.P. Richter, A Descriptive Catalogue of the Collection of Pictures belonging to the Earl of Northbrook, London 1889, no. 114;
C. Hofstede de Groot, A Catalogue Raisonné.., vol. V, London 1913, p. 61, under no. 167 (as a copy of a painting by Ter Borch in the collection of  M. Six van Hillegom);
A. Graves, A Century of Loan Exhibitions, vol. III, London 1914, p. 1303;
Art News, no. 35, 1937, p. 13, no. 31;
S.J. Gudlaugsson, Gerard Ter Borch, vol. II, The Hague 1960, p. 127, no. 114a (as a Studio copy after Ter Borch's original);
M.E. Wieseman, Caspar Netscher and late Seventeenth Century Dutch Painting, Doornspijk 2002, p. 315, cat. no. B3, reproduced (in error) as B2 (under Problematic attributions).

The panel is uncradled and bevelled along all four margins. The panel's surface is somewhat uneven, characterised by some shallow horizontal undulations. The surface has undergone some wear and subsequent restoration, notably in the background surrounding the figure. There are some localised areas of retouching, on the sitter's chest and neck, in the lower part of her hair and on the hands. The red dress is somewhat worn and what seems to have been a slight overcleaning has resulted in some loss to the final detailing. The painting is however ready to hang. Offered in a later, ebony frame in 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. 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."

The compositon repeats that of Ter Borch's original of 1655 in The Hague, Mauritshuis.¹

Gudlaugsson (see Literature) notes that the present work is the pendant to, and by the same hand as, a copy after Ter Borch's Woman Drinking in Frankfurt, Städelsches Kunstinstitut.² While he mentions Caspar Netscher as the author of this latter he fails to mention him in connection with the present work. The two works hung together in the collections of both Baron Verstolk van Soelen and the Earl of Northbrook before being separated (although they were certainly still together when exhibtied at the Grafton Galleries in 1911, as nos. 77 & 78). It is possible that they were later reunited by Arthur Tooth who bought the present work in 1937 (see Provenance) and certainly owned Woman drinking by 1945.³

1. Gudlaugsson, under Literature, vol. II, pp. 126-7, reproduced vol. I, p. 273, fig. 114.
1. Idem,  vol. II, pp. 139-40, no. 125c.
2. According to Gudlaugsson, p. 139.