Alexandre Montallier

To the naked eye: The painting appears in relatively satisfactory condition. The painting appears under a green old varnish. It has been relined, 50 years ago, a little bit too strong. It has been cleaned, 50 years ago, a little bit too strong that has worn the lower side of the brown coat of the central figure. Under UV light: The painting appears under an old green varnish that has been lightened on the sky. We can notice some very light repaints on the sky and on the wall above the sculpture.
"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."

Anciennement attribué à Karel Dujardin, notre tableau doit être rendu au maigre, mais, très intéressant corpus des œuvres données à Alexandre Montallier. On ne connait qu’un peu moins d’une dizaine de tableaux donnés à l’artiste, malheureusement oublié et souvent confondu ou assimilé aux œuvres des Frères Le Nain, Sébastien Bourdon ou encore, comme dans notre cas, Karel Dujardin. Le rapprochement de notre composition avec le style de la seule œuvre signée de l’artiste, conservée au Musée de l’Ermitage à Saint Petersbourg permet de comprendre le style de l’artiste et la justification de l’attribution que nous proposons.