Workshop of Albrecht Bouts

R Ward, London;
Jacques Goudstikker, Amsterdam, by 1926 (inventory 1530);
Looted by the Nazi Authorities, 13 July 1940;
Anonymous sale, Munich, Weinmüller, 30 January 1941, lot 74;
Alfred Weinberger, Paris, 1949, thence by descent;
Restituted in 2011 to the heir of Jacques Goudstikker.

Catalogue Collection Goudstikker Amsterdam, 10e exhibition, 13 March 13- 4 April, 1926, no. 116;
Catalogue Collection Goudstikker Amsterdam, Rotterdamsche Kunstkring, 10-25 April, 1926, no. 63;
M.J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting. Lucas van Leyden and Other Dutch Masters of His Time, vol X, Leyden 1973, p. 70, no. 15, plate 14 (as Jan Mostaert).

The circular panel support is flat and stable. An old crack which runs diagonally through the right cheek bone has been stabilised by a batten to the reverse of the panel. The paint surface is dirty but secure and under a discoloured varnish. The paint surface has become abraded in the hair, beard and lips, with some minor discoloured retouchings visible on the bridge of the nose and under the eyes. Inspection under UV light reveals retouchings around the darker tones around the golden rays. Apart from the aforementioned discoloured retouchings, the face is in large passages in good condition. The painting would benefit from a clean. Offered in an engaged frame surrounded by green felt and laid into a square frame.
"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 Friedländer placed this Christ crowned with thorns firmly within the corpus of Jan Mostaert, it has much more in common with the Albrecht Bouts group, especially with the tondos of the same subject and design in the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City and the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin (for which see  M.J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting, vol III, Leyden 1968, p. 67, no. 62, & p. 77, no. Add. 125, both reproduced plate 75).