Maerten Stoop

The actual painting is a lot warmer and less red in tone, and shows less contrast than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel consist of two planks, joined vertically, and is flat and stable. The join has been reinforced with 2 battons. The panel is very lightly bevelled on all sides. A thin split from the upper to the lower edge is visible to the front along the join. The paint surface has grown slightly thin throughout, mainly in the greenish tones and in the background. A few small retouchings are visible, e.g. in the woman's skirt, in the figures centre left, on the barrel centre right, and in the background upper centre. The paint surface is covered with a dirty and discoloured layer of varnish. Inspection under ultra violet light is largely obscured by the dirty varnish layer, but does confirm the aforesaid retouchings. Offered in a decorative carved gilt wood frame, in good condition. (MW)
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Unfortunately Maerten Stoop died before the age of thirty and consequently few paintings are known by his hand. Although probably born in Rotterdam, he must have received his training in Utrecht, as his style can be related to artists such as Nicolaus Knüpfer (circa 1609-1655), also active in Utrecht in the 1640s and 1650s. Stoop's inn scenes are recognizable by the similar figure types they include, mainly of officers with round, plump faces, shown from a low perspective. See for example An officer in billeted quarters, in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (inv. no. SK-A-2573).