Circle of Gerrit Dou

Probably Louis-Philippe, Duc d'Orléans (1747-1793);
Probably acquired in 1792 with the Dutch, German, and Flemish paintings of the Orléans collection by Thomas Moore Slade, London, for an English syndicate;
Probably, offered for sale by private contract for six months from 26 December 1798, where bought by an unnamed buyer;
George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746-1816), by 1800;
Thence by descent.

Wellesley (Mass.), Davis Museum, on long term loan.

Anon., 'Pictures and Articles of Curiosity', in Inventory of the Contents of Warwick Castle,(Warwickshire Record Office CR1886/466), ms., circa 1800, n.p., ('Schalken – An old woman eating pottage by lamplight'), hanging in the End Room;
Anon., Inventory of the Contents of Warwick Castle, ms., 1806, ('Schalken – An Old Woman eating Pottage by Candlelight'), hanging in the End Room;
W. Field, An Historical and Descriptive Account of Leamington Spa, Warwick 1815, pp. 182, 202 ('An old woman eating pottage - lamp light- excellent- by Gerhard Douw'), in the State Dressing Room, opposite the south window, below, centre;
Probably J. Smith, A catalogue raisonné..., London 1829, p. 25, no. 75;
S. Woodburne, Notes on the Paintings at Warwick Castle, 1832, no. 87, in the End Room;
C. W. Spicer, Vitruvius Britannicus. History of Warwick Castle, London 1844, in Lady Warwick's boudoir;
H. T. Cooke, An Historical and Descriptive Guide to Warwick Castle…, Warwick 1847, p. 68, in Lady Warwick's boudoir;
Cooper’s, History of Warwick and Guide to the Castle, illustrated, 1850, p.98;
W. Kendall, Inventory of Warwick Castle, ms., 1853, in the Boudoir;
Anon., Inventory of Warwick Castle, mss. circa 1860, in the Boudoir;
Probably G. Redford, Art Sales. A History of Sales, vol. I, London 1888, p. 76 ('G. Dow. Old woman and lamp');
F. E. Warwick, ‘Warwick Castle’, in The Pall Mall Magazine, vol. XI, January – April 1897, p. 39, in the Boudoir;
Anon., Inventory of the contents of Warwick Castle, ms., 1900, in the State Boudoir;
Probably C. Hofstede de Groot, A catalogue raisonné..., vol.I, London 1907, p. 427, no. 245;
Probably W. Martin, Gerard Dou. Des Meisters Gemälde, London 1913, no. 342;
Probably Klassiker der Kunst in Gesamtausgaben. Gerard Dou, Stuttgart & Berlin 1913, p. 163;
Anon., A brief account of the Earls of Warwick, together with a description of the castle and some of the more notable works of art therein, Warwick 1959, p. 47, in the Blue Boudoir;
R. Baer, The Paintings of Gerrit Dou, Diss., New York 1990, no. C85 (under 'Works of Rejected Attribution').

The panel is flat and uncradled, it has been recently cleaned and restored. There are scattered touchings out throughout, along the wood grain, particularly in the background. There some localised retouchings in the bottom left corner, to the spoon, and behind her head. The varnish is clear and no further work is required.
"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."

This is the only known version of this composition and precisely corresponds, both in details and measurements, to the engraving by J. Huber after the Dou in the collection of the Duc d'Orléans; an identification with the Orléans picture is further corroborated by the inscription on the reverse reading 'Orléans collection'. It is therefore very likely to have been acquired by the 2nd Earl at the 1798 sale of property from the collection of Louis-Philippe, Duc d'Orléans, which had been bought en masse and brought to England by a syndicate of English aristocrats and businessmen. The 1806 inventory confirms the Earl to have acquired another painting from the Orléans collection, though it is described (or mis-transcribed?) therein as 'Pantou' which does not easily identify with anything in the 1798 Orléans sale list.

On the basis of first-hand inspection, Dr. Ronni Baer considers this work to have been painted by an artist close to Gerrit Dou.