Follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens

The panel is flat and cradled. The paint surface is in good overall condition with a clear and even varnish and no major damages. In raking light the beginnings of an old vertical split is visible at the bottom margin, but the panel look to be now stable. The brush work and colours are well preserved. No restoration is visible to the naked eye. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals cosmetic well executed small retouchings scattered throughout - the main concentrations of which are in the shoulder of the kneeling woman, in the pale back ground above the right putti's head, and in his leg, in the shadows of the Madonna's sculpted throne and some strengthenings around the putti at the top left. A proportion of the other retouchings seem to mask slight wear along the grain of the panel. In fair overall condition, offered in a wood and (thin/ worn) velvet frame with gilt slip.
"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."

A much reduced derivation of Rubens' altarpiece painted for the church of the Augustinian fathers in Malines (The Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio), for which a drawing also exists (Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam).¹ There are numerous copies after the composition, due in large part to several engravings made after Rubens' original painting, though the present work differs from these in its exclusion of the arched bower above the Virgin's throne.²

1. Inv. no. 1950.272; see The Toledo Museum of Art. European Paintings, Toledo 1976, pp. 146–47, reproduced in colour p. 86, pl. VI, and p. 248, pl. 102.
2. See C.G.V. Schneevoogt, Catalogue des estampes gravées d'après P.P. Rubens, Haarlem 1873, cat. nos 36–39.