Wybrand de Geest the Elder

Biljoen Collection;
Their sale, Amsterdam, Muller, 28 May 1918, lot 138;
Mr. H. F. baron de Vos van Steenwijk, Windesheim, by 1967;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Mak van Waay, 14 March 1972, lot 42.

Leeuwarden, Fries Museum, Het kinderportret in de Noordelijke Nederlanden in de 16de en 17de eeuw, 1953-4, no. 24.

A. Wassenbergh, De portretkunst in Friesland in de 17de eeuw, Lochem 1967, p. 34, no. 6.

The support consists of 3 vertical panels which are cradled to the reverse. The paint surface is secure and clean though the panel joins are visible. Scattered discoloured retouchings are visible to the naked eye, for example to the right of the sitter'sface and other areas. The thick glossy varnish prevents satisfactory inspection under UV light but retouchings can be made out along the panel joins as well as some other areas of retouching in the curtain and background. Offered in a later wood frame in fair 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."

We are grateful to Dr. Rudolf Ekkart for endorsing the attribution to Wybrand de Geest on the basis of photographs and for informing us that at the time of the Biljoen sale in 1918, the present painting was sold alongside a Portrait of a Young Boy by de Geest, also full-length and of the same dimensions but dated one year earlier.