Studio of Pieter Brueghel the Younger

Bought by the grandfather of the present owner in the 1930s.

The actual painting is deeper and fuller in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The round panel is flat and stable and lightly bevelled. One repaired crack is visible lower left. A few irregularities in the edge of the panel can be seen along the lower edge. The paint surface is in good condition and under a fine layer of dirt and discoloured varnish. Tiny discoloured retouchings can be seen in the lower part of the woman's dress. Inspection under Ultra Violet light fluoresces partly because of the varnish layer, but does confirm the afore mentioned retouchings and reveals some further strenthening on the ground below. The paint surface has a fine craquelure pattern. Offered in a gilt, floral decorated, later frame, tiny chips.(ML)
"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."

Although most of Pieter Brueghel the Younger's renditions of Proverbs were inspired by his father's designs, in this instance the composition  appears to be of the artist's own invention. Three autograph versions in winter are known, all signed and one dated 1626,¹ and apart from the present picture, two versions in summer are known.²  Brueghel painted a large number of these small round panels depicting single proverbs. Among the ninety works in this format considered autograph in Ertz's monograph, only twenty-nine are signed and only seven are signed and dated.

The proverbs were extremely popular in Brueghel's time, and their representation enjoyed a wide audience. The inscription here reads: "In deen hant draghe vier in dander waeter met clappaers en clappeyen houd ick den snaeter", literally 'to carry fire in one hand and water in the other'. It refers to the ambiguity of human nature, or, more accurately, means something like 'to be two-faced and stir up trouble', 'to say one thing and to mean another', or 'to flatter and deceive'.

1. One, signed and dated, recorded with Galerie d'Art St. Honoré, Paris, 1997; the other in a private collection, New York, 1969; and the third in a private collection, Switzerland, 1996. See K. Ertz, Pieter Brueghel der Jüngere (1564-1637/38), Lingen 2000, pp. 200-1, cat. nos. E73, E74 and E77, reproduced p. 105, fig. 71, p. 201, fig. 77.
2. One recorded in a private collection, The Netherlands, 1992, and the other in the collection of Jean-Jacques and Michèle de Flers, Paris, 1995. See Ertz, op. cit., cat. nos. E75 and E76, reproduced pp. 106-7, reproduced figs. 72 and 73.