David Teniers the Younger

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This copper panel is flat. It has a wooden framework which reinforces it on the reverse. Very thin nails have been applied on the extreme edge of the panel to attach it to the framework. The paint layer is clean, varnished and retouched. The varnish on the picture blocks the ultraviolet light from positively identifying any retouches however the paint layer does seem to be a little thin and one would expect that the glazes, darker colors of the picture and the white stripe in the flag on the right particularly, would have received some attention to suppress some old abrasion. Having said that, the painting looks well and should be hung as is.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Many of Tenier's guardroom interiors are datable to the mid-1640s and many, like the present example, are painted on copper.  The subject of the guardroom and all its trappings -- armor, colorful flags and banners, saddles, drums, pistols -- afforded Teniers ample opportunity to showcase his brilliance as a still life painter.  Another example of this genre, in upright format, depicting a very similar arched interior with a window at upper left and soldiers playing cards in the background, is in the collection of The Art Institute of Chicago (inv. nr. 1894.1029); and another example, also on copper, incorporating many similar elements and including a self-portrait of the artist, was sold at London, Sotheby's, 7 July 2010, lot 12.