大衛‧維克邦

Mrs. Raymond A. Barrows, Kansas City;
By whom given to the Nelson Atkins Museum, Kansas City;
By whom sold, ("Sold by the Order of the University Trustees of the William Rockhill Nelson Trust"), New York, Sotheby's, 15 January 1993, lot 11;
There purchased by Bernard Palitz. 

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This lively little picture is in very good condition, with well-preserved, fluid brushwork. The tangentially cut, horizontally grained wood panel has been thinned and possibly trimmed in size and a complex cradle has been affixed to the reverse. A grain-oriented crack in the support, below center, extends across the width of the panel; this is likely a long-existing flaw given the wider dimension of the cradle member spanning the crack on the back of the panel. Two smaller cracks originate from the right edge of the panel, below the larger crack. Old, retouched losses are almost exclusively limited to the edges of the panel and along the two longest cracks, with some small touches of strengthening in the darks; otherwise the paint is beautifully preserved. The aged, highly fluorescing varnish is discolored but clear and appropriately saturates the paints. Removal of the varnish would brighten the appearance overall and eliminate the yellowish cast, but is not strictly necessary for enjoyment of the painting. Removal of the cradle by a structural specialist could be considered to lessen the chances of new cracks developing in the wood support.
"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."

The artist portrays the wide variety of festivities taking place in this revelrous Peasant Feast, from the bagpipe player in the upper left corner, to two men playfully fighting over a jug, and a couple dancing in the left corner. As is typical with Dutch and Flemish feast scenes, this highly animated composition is interspersed with more grotesque passages, including a man becoming sick at the table in back.

Vinckboons was a particularly accomplished draftsman, which manifests itself in the way he painted. He used small energetic strokes to describe each of the figures. Their facial expressions and gesture are still very discernible and make this work a particular delight to explore visually.

Vinckboons executed this composition in at least one further version (formerly with de Jonkheere, Paris, 1996).