Circle of Pieter Brueghel the Younger

Berger collection, Stockholm, 1938.

G. Marlier, Pierre Brueghel le jeune, Brussels 1969, p. 443 (as by Pieter Brueghel the Younger);
K. Ertz, Pieter Brueghel der Jungere, vol. I, Lingen 1988/2000, pp. 179, 180-1, and 218, cat. no. A166, reproduced fig. 158 (as by an unknown hand).

The support consists of a single, stable, flat panel, bevelled on the vertical edges with a very slight convex boy. The paint surface is secure and appears to be in good condition under a dirty varnish. There is a minor paint loss, lower left, beneath the spindle of approx. 1 cm squared. Minor, scattered, old, discoloured retouchings are visible to the naked eye in her headress and these are confirmed under UV light which also reveals some other minor scattered old work. Offered in a gilt wood frame with a velvet inset in fair condition.
"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."

Another version, with minor differences, was with Frye und Sohn in Münster in 1996, with an attribution to Pieter Balten. Although the subject was painted in the Brueghel workshop in tondo form with two full-length figures, the design of these panels is almost certainly independent. The subject is probably a Flemish proverb or saying, and both characters are recognisable types in this context: the man with his chicken represents a Hennentaster or philanderer, and appears as such in the Brueghels' famous paintings of Flemish Proverbs. The woman, perhaps his wife, holds a spindle, a typical symbol of virtue and hard work, often shown as an attribute of one of the Five Wise Virgins. The implication of a bargain being struck between household rectitude and sexual propriety is certainly familiar with married households from Brueghel's day to this.