Jozef Israels

Goupil & Cie., The Hague, no. 28464 (acquired directly from the artist in April 1905)
C.W. Kraushaar, New York (acquired from the above in June 1905)
Alfred G. Lewis (and sold: American Art Association, April 25, 1935, lot 55, illustrated as The Household Pet)
Private Collector (and sold: Parke-Bernet, New York, February 17, 1944, lot 90, illustrated as Le gouter de quatre heures)
Private Collector (acquired at the above sale)

Good condition. Wax lined. Under UV: Varnish fluresces. Inpainting to address craquelure in cat and in woman's dress and a few scattered thin lines in background.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Une Vieille Demoiselle is related both in composition and technique to several interior scenes Israels' completed in the 1890s particularly his Une Vieille Fille (1895).  Yet is unlikely the present work dates to this period as the artist would probably not have held on to such an accomplished work for a decade before handing it to Goupil for sale in 1905.  The painting may have been comissioned by an American art dealer who preferred Israels 1890s style in contrast to the broad technique and brighter palette of his work after 1900 (see for example The Sand Barrow, 1902, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam). Israels' works of women in an interior knitting, feeding a baby, or looking out a sun-filled window remained very popular in the United States at the turn of the century and to appease demand the artist likely returned to styles and techniques of his earlier period.