Gerbrand van den Eeckhout

Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, Van der Schley, Yver, 25 July 1804, lot 30, for 47 florins to Roos;
Catharina Kopersmit, née Rijkman, Amsterdam;
Her sale, Amsterdam, J.F. Meijer, 15 October 1829, lot 8, for 350 florins to De Lelie;
Lord Northwick, Thirlestane House, by 1854;
His deceased sale, Thirlestane House, Cheltenham, Phillips, 26 July - 30 August 1859, lot 1519 (on 18 August);
Unknown sale, France, lot 48 (according to a label on the reverse).

Dr. G.F. Waagen, Treasures of Art in Great Britain, London 1854-7, vol. III, p. 207.

The painting is a little less yellow and softer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The thick single panel is flat and stable, and lightly bevelled to the reverse. No major damages are apparent. The paint surface is under a very dirty varnish. The paint layer is secure, if quite abraded in some of the background figures, but the impasto in the highlights is nicely preserved. Retouches and strengthenings can be observed in some of the background figures. Inspection under UV light reveals old scattered tiny retouchings following the wood grain, which are more frequent in the background, and a few more recently retouched blemishes to the lower left and in the upper centre. Offered in a plain black wood frame with a gilt decorative fillet 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 Prof. Dr. Volker Manuth for confirming the attribution to Gerbrand van den Eeckhout on the basis of first hand inspection. He will include this painting in his forthcoming monograph on the artist. It can be closely compared to the signed and dated 1665 painting in the Puschkin-Museum, Moscow (see W. Sumowski, Gemälde der Rembrandt-Schüler, vol. II, Landau/Pfalz 1983 and after, p. 738, cat. no. 454, reproduced p. 817).