Jan Breughel the Younger

With Eugène van Herck & Zoon, Antwerp, from whom purchased by Mrs. Elsen, Antwerp, Belgium, circa 1900;
Thence by descent to the present owner. 

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 painting on copper is quite noticeably dirty. The copper has been nailed to a cradle and the pins are visible around the edges here and there. The paint layer is covered in a yellow varnish and some old discolored retouches are visible in the sky on the left side. Retouching elsewhere seems to be less present, although we expect that there are retouches in the ground around the flower and figures. However, when the picture is cleaned, the quality and condition of the multiple objects in the picture, the flowers, the landscape, the figures and architecture, will improve dramatically. The condition of the sky, which at the moment is unclear, will in all likelihood reveal itself to be better than one expects. In the lower right there remnants of what appears to be an original signature and this area has been cleaned in order to test these remnants for solubility and we find that this inscription certainly responds in the way that a 17th century inscription would respond.
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.

There are quite a few variations of the present composition, by either Jan Brueghel the Elder or his son, Jan Brueghel the Younger (oftentimes in collaboration with another artist).  The most famous of these is the panel, The Sense of Smell, one of five panels from The Allegory of the Senses, a collaborative series by Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel the Elder, now in the Prado Museum, Madrid.  Another version, a collaboration between Jan Brueghel the Younger and Jan van Balen, dated 1635, is most similar to the present example, and was sold, London, Christie's, July 3, 1996, lot 3, for $96,990.