Attributed to Frans Snyders

Private collection, Barcelona;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 9 December 2005, lot 106 (as Frans Snyders), where acquired by the present owner.

Pintures Flamencos y Holandes, Barcelona 1953, p. 43, reproduced plate X;
H. Robels, Frans Snyders: Stilleben und Tiermaler, Munich 1989, p. 460, cat. no. A182a (as a copy after Paul de Vos).

The support consists of two canvasses sewn together, with a vertical seam visible in the centre of the painting. The canvas has been relined, resulting in a flattened paint surface. Traces of impasto, however, are present in the white highlights. The paint surface is secure and stable. The varnish has dirtied, particularly noticeable in the sky. The painting should respond well to cleaning. A few small and scattered losses are visible along parts of the lower edge. A repaired tear measuring approximately 30 cm is visible at the lower left. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals an uneven varnish and reveals retouching along the lower half of the seam. Very few, small retouchings are revealed in the upper body, ear and cheek of the spotted dog. Retouchings are also revealed in the body of the white dog and below the right eye of the biting dog. Further scattered and localised retouching is revealed in the vegetation in the centre foreground and the vegetation at the lower left, as well as in the foliage immediately surrounding the central grouping of dogs. Overall the work is largely free of retouching and, underneath the varnish, is in good condition. The work is offered in a thin gilt molded frame, with a few minor knocks and losses.
"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."

The present work is closely related to a picture by Paul de Vos, the brother-in-law of Snyders, in the collection of Major Mills, Hillsborough.¹ Both show the same configuration of battling dogs, although set against backgrounds of differing landscapes. Hella Robels, going by the image in Pintures Flamencos y Holandes, thought the present painting to be a copy after the work in Hillsborough, which she believed to be derived from Snyders.

At the time of the last sale Fred G. Meijer of the RKD, The Hague, noted the quality of the work and tentatively suggested that it was closer to Frans Snyders than to Paul de Vos. Also at this time, an image of the picture was seen by Professor Susan Koslow, who believed it to be an autograph work by Snyders, suggesting that the desire to visualise the skeleton and musculature of each animal is typical of Snyders and sets him apart from de Vos. If so, this would presumably make the present picture the prime version on which the work by de Vos was based. 

1. Robels 1989, p.460, no. A182, reproduced plate X.