Attributed to Cornelis Massys

P. Smidt van Gelder collection;
His sale, Geneva, Moos, 7 October 1933, lot 124, (as "Cornelis Metsis");
Possibly Krell Collection;
From whom acquired by W. Paech, Amsterdam;
From whom acquired in September 1940 by P. de Boer, Amsterdam;
Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's Mak van Waay, 7 April 1970, lot 200 (as "Cornelis Matsijs");
Anonymous sale, Sotheby's Mak van Waay, Amsterdam, 10 May 1971,  lot 231;
Anonymous sale, Lucerne, Galerie Fischer, 13 November 1973, lot 235.

The panel has an old cradle and a very faint convex bow. The painting is now dirty and the varnish layer discoloured. The paint surface appears well preserved with no sign of wear or major damage. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals only a small restored 50mm loss lower centre, and strengthening to the lower parts of the sky and the water, mostly in the distance. This lot is sold with a later Flemish style painted and parcel gilt wood 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."

We are grateful to Dr. Walter Gibson for noting that this painting is very close in style to the work of Cornelis Massys, particularly the atmospheric treatment of the landscape. Dr. Gibson has compared the background elements in the present work, such as the hill-top towns on craggy rocks, to those found in Massys' Saint Jerome in the Wilderness in the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp (see W. Gibson, Mirror of the Earth: The World Landscape in Sixteenth-Century Flemish Painting, Princeton 1989, reproduced fig. 2.21).