JOHANNES VOORHOUT | A young scholar reading by a lamplight in a study with an ecorché model and a plaster head of a putto on a table

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, April 10, 1987, lot 45 A (as Job Berckheyde);
Anonymous sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 4 March 1997, lot 113 (as Job Berckheyde);
There purchased by the a private collector;
By whom anonymously sold, New York, Sotheby’s, 27 May 2004, lot 22 (as Job Berkheyde);
There acquired.

The canvas appears to have an old relining, and is stable on its stretcher. The painting presents a strong image that retains good detail in areas, such as in the sculpture, the proper left sleeve of the figure, and in the flame of the candle. Other areas have slightly thinned and lost some definition with age, for example, in the fabric at lower right, in the chest of the figure, and in the area in the background above and to the right of the figure’s head. Inspection under UV reveals a varnish that fluoresces unevenly in areas. It also seems to reveal that attention has been given to the aforementioned areas that have lost some definition. More recent strokes of retouching are visible scattered here and there throughout, for example, above the head of the figure, in his shoulder, in the background at lower left, in and around the candle, and at the extreme edges, likely from old frame abrasion. Some of the retouches have slightly discolored and are viable to the naked eye. Offered in a simply carved giltwood 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.
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This painting compares closely, in both size and composition, to another interior scene by Johannes Voorhout depicting a seated woman and her maid.¹  Both works include a globe and shelves of books in the background, a draped red cloth, and a table covered with various objects. The most prominent object is the anatomical sculpture at left, which relates to Willem van Tetrode's Écorché (fig. 1), with its backward lean, upraised arm and dynamic pose.  Although originally cast around 1562-1567, this sinuous model was popular tool for study among seventeenth century Netherlandish artists, likely in the form of a plaster cast, for it is found also in works by Peter Paul Rubens, Cornelis Saftleven and Michiel van Musscher.
1. Oil on canvas, 76 by 61 cm, signed lower right.  Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE), inv. no. NK1973.