David Teniers the Younger

Claude-Alexandre de Villeneuve (1703-1760), Comte de Vence, Paris, by 1748;
His sale, Paris, Rémy, 9-17 February 1761, lot 64 (together with the Alchemist now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna);
Destouches;
His sale, Paris, Lebrun & Julliot, 21 March 1794, lot 71 (together with the Alchemist);
Comte Vilain XIV, Brussels, 1857;
P.J. Huybrechts, Antwerp;
Christophe Rhaban Ruhl, Cologne;
His sale, Cologne, Heberle, 18 May 1876, lot 104;
Hans Heinrich Vieweg (1826-1890), Braunschweig;
His sale, Berlin, Lepke, 18 March 1930, lot 17;
Anonymous sale, Lucerne, Fischer, 21-22 June 1968, lot 650;
Private collection, Switzerland;
With Gallery Sanct Lucas, Vienna, 1999;
With Noortman Gallery, Maastricht & London, 1999;
Private collection, The Netherlands;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Private Collector"), London, Sotheby's, 9 December 2009, lot 10. 

J.B. Descamps, La vie des peintres flamands, allemands et hollandais, vol. 2, Paris 1754, p. 165 (Cabinet de M. le Comte de Vence 'La Dévote malade');
J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné..., vol. 3, London 1831, p. 284, no. 79.

The flat stable support consists of a single panel, cradled to the reverse. The paint surface is clean and secure, but shows signs of abrasion in the brown pigments. There are three old restored cracks running from the top and bottom margins of the painting on the right hand side, the retouchings to which are vaguely visible to the naked eye. Inspection under UV light reveals further restored damages, most notably to the left of the upper margin and the upper right hand corner. Fairly extensive scattered retouchings are further revealed but the main figures remain predominantly untouched. Offered in a wooden 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."

In the 1660s, David Teniers started to paint small-scale genre scenes with the principal figures seen in half-length, and placed close to the picture plane.  This one dates to circa 1667-68, as Margret Klinge confirmed when this picture was last on the market in 1999.

John Smith (see literature) thought the man holding a jug to be a self portrait of Teniers, and fancifully suggested that young woman was dressed like a nun.  

The earliest known owner of this painting, the Comte de Vence was one of the leading collectors in Paris in the mid-18th century, at a time when small-scale cabinet pictures were hugely popular.  He commissioned Jacques-Nicolas Tardieu to engrave the best pictures in his collection, including this one.
 
Hans Heinrich Vieweg, who owned the painting in the 19th century, represented the third generation of a family of important German publishers. The Vieweg publishing house was founded by Hans Heinrich's grandfather Friedrich (1761-1835) in 1786, publishing Johann Wolfgang Goethe's works. Later the company specialised in scientific publications.