Louis de Moni

Anonymous sale, Munich, Weinmüller, 15 March 1961, lot 859;
Anonymous sale, Munich, Weinmüller, 6 December 1961, lot 974.

The actual painting is a lot darker and a lot less bright, due to the dirty varnish layer, than the catalogue illustration suggests. The single panel is slightly bevelled on all sides. No damages seem to be apparent. The paint surface is in excellent condition, but is covered with a very dirty discoloured layer of varnish. The craquelure pattern is very fine and dense. The varnish layer fluoresces completely under ultra violet light, but does reveal that the varnish layer has been unevenly cleaned. Offered in a large moulded and layered brown wood frame, in good condition. (MW)
"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."

This charming scene of a doctor taking a woman's pulse fits well into Louis de Moni's oeuvre, which primarily consists of genre-pieces strongly reminiscent of 17th Century genre painting from Leiden. It is clear that De Moni was familiar with Gerard Dou's treatment of the subject, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 592). The theme of the doctor inspecting a young woman's urine sample, traditionally indicating the woman's lovesickness or pregnancy, was popularized by Dou in the 17^th Century. In this painting, Dou's influence is not only discernible in the placement of the figures within a stone niche, which had become an almost standard feature within genre-pieces well into the 19^th Century, but also in several specific motifs such as the Turkish carpet, the drawn-back curtain and the Duquesnoy relief. Since the 1650s this relief, placed below the ledge of the window, became increasingly popular amongst genre painters and was probably read as a metaphor of the illusion of painting.¹ 

1. For further reading on the Duquesnoy relief, see P. Hecht, 'Art beats nature, and painting does so best of all: the paragone competition in Duquesnoy, Dou and Schalcke', Simiolus, vol. 29, no. 3/4, 2002, pp. 184-201.