Anthonie Palamedesz.

Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Lady"), London, Christie's, 23 July 1982, lot 120;
With Richard Green, London;
Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 17 January 1986, lot 108;
There acquired and thence by descent. 

Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art; Berlin, Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbestiz; London, Royal Academy of Arts, Masters of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Genre Painting, 18 March - 18 November 1984, no. 95 (lent by Richard Green).

P.C. Sutton, Masters of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Genre Painting, exhibition catalogue, Philadelphia 1984, pp. 291-292, cat. no. 95, reproduced plate 16.

Panel is flat stable and cradled. The panel is beveled on the viewers right side and appears to be comprised of one single wooden board. Overall this painting is in good condition with a few retouches visible under UV light. These are mostly isolated to the outer edges of the composition and associated with older frame abrasion. There appear to be some minor older retouches beneath the current varnish which are very small and simply applied for reinforcement and cosmetic purposes. Varnish appears slightly dirty but the painting could very easily be hung in its current condition. In a carved and molded wooden 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."

Within this light-filled interior by Anthonie Palamedesz., thirteen elegant figures gather around a table to play, drink, and embrace, while as a young serving boy in the shadow at the far left pours a glass of wine.  On stylistic grounds, Peter Sutton dates the present painting to early in the artist's career, circa 1632-1634, a period in which he created some of his finest works.¹  This painting can be closely compared to Palamedesz's Merry Company in an Interior dated 1633 in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-A-1906).²

1. See Sutton, in Literature, p. 292.
2. See J. Bikker, Y. Bruijnen, G. Wuestman, Dutch Paintings of the Seventeenth Century in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Volume I-Artists born between 1570 and 1600, Amsterdam 2007, vol I. p. 299, cat. no. 226, reproduced vol. II, fig. 226.