Hendrick Maertensz. Sorgh

Acquired by the father of the present owner circa 1950. 

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 work on canvas has an old lining and has not been recently cleaned. It certainly would benefit from cleaning. It seems that the condition is very good beneath the old varnish. The lining still seems to be sufficient. Although there appears to be a small restoration in the center of the picture above the figure group and presumably others, perhaps around the edges, the condition seems to be particularly good, given that the work is on canvas.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

A group of merry drinkers and smokers congregate around a table in this finely executed canvas by Hendrick Maertensz. Sorgh. The picture can likely be dated to the 1640's, when Sorgh, along with his fellow Rotterdam townsmen Herman and Cornelis Saftleven, produced peasant and other genre scenes in the style of of Teniers and Brouwer (his later works tend to be outdoor market scenes on the quaysides of Rotterdam, small scale portraits and marine pictures). The quality of the rendered materials in Sorgh's best works, seen here most obviously in the yellow shirt of the seated figure with his back to the viewer, are what distinguish him from most of his contemporaries. Such technical skill was clearly recognized in his own day, as by 1636 Sorgh had become a master of the Guild of St. Luke. 

A very similarly constructed figurative arrangement, all set within an almost identical wood beamed interior was sold London, Sotheby's, 10 July 1968, lot 40. 

We are grateful to Fred Meijer of the RKD for supporting the attribution to Sorgh, based on first hand inspection.