David Teniers the Younger

The Earls of Elgin, since the 18th century;
Anonymous sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 14 December 1916, lot 373, reproduced plate 45;
Private Collection;
With Noortman Master Paintings, London, by 1993;
From whom acquired by the present owner.

Edinburgh, Royal Scottish Academy, Loan Exhibition of Works of Old Masters and Scottish National Portraits, 1883, no. 344;
Antwerp, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, David Teniers the Younger. Paintings. Drawings, 11 May – 1 September 1991, no. 52;
London, Noortman Gallery, Dutch and Flemish Old Master Paintings, 9 June – 16 July 1993, no. 31.

E. Greindl, L'Age d'or de la peinture flamande, Brussels 1989, reproduced fig. 50;
M. Klinge, David Teniers the Younger. Paintings. Drawings, exhibition catalogue, Ghent 1991, pp. 162–63, cat. no. 52, reproduced;
Noortman Gallery, Dutch and Flemish Old Master Paintings, 1993, cat. no. 31, reproduced.

The panel has been marouflaged and the newer backing has been cradled. There are three old horizontal splits that have all been quite recently restored. The paint surface is otherwise well- preserved with only scattered and fairly minor local repairs visible under ultra-violet light.
"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."

Margret Klinge, who chose this picture for her ground-breaking Teniers exhibition in Antwerp in 1991, dates it to the second half of the 1640s.  She considered the artist here to have reached a peak of achievement in the `impressionistic' technique of his Antwerp years, and remarked that it is a particularly fine example of `how delicately the painter could handle colour and its effects.'