Pieter Jansz. Quast

Sale, Hamburg, Hauswedell & Nolte, 5 June 1975, lot 256;
F.C. Butôt, Sankt Gilgen,
his sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 16 November 1993, lot 72

Munich, Sotheby's, A selection of paintings and drawings from the Collection of F.C. Butôt, 1989

L.J. Bol, G.S. Keyes & F.C. Butôt, Netherlandish Paintings and Drawings from the Collection of F.C. Butôt by little-known and rare masters of the seventeenth century, 1981, p. 29, no. 107, reproduced;
I. Fechter, review of Munich exhibition, 1989, Weltkunst 59, no. 12, p. 1768

Hinge mounted. There is some yellowing and staining to the vellum, most notably to the left edge and the center of the right edge and also some signs of buckling to the sheet. The black chalk medium remains reasonably fresh throughout and the image strong. Sold in a giltwood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In this typically lively composition, Quast illustrates with relish the three ways in which a wife can admonish her husband: in the background a woman administers a straightforward physical beating, beside her another gives her pleading spouse a thorough hands-on-the-hips scolding, while the woman in the foreground resorts to the psychological approach, employing a time-honored gesture that mocks her forlorn-looking husband's sexual efforts.