SCHOOL OF UTRECHT, CIRCA 1625 | Pontius Pilate washing his hands

Private collection;
Whence acquired circa 25 years ago by the present owner.

The painting has been lined, the paint surface is slightly dirty, and the varnish is slightly discoloured. There is some evidence of wear throughout and a couple of minor surface scuffs, but the painting is in overall good condition. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a restored damage below Pilate’s left forearm, 5 by 3 cm., and scattered retouchings and strengthenings throughout, mainly of a cosmetic nature, most notably in the hands of Pilate, in the face of the youth attending him, and in the face of the figure, far right.
"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."

This intriguing painting shares points of comparison with several contemporary works. Most similar in composition is the painting in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, currently attributed to Matthias Stomer, in which Pilate looks directly out at the viewer while the boy pours water in the same attitude.¹ Also very comparable is Jan Lievens' rendition of the subject of 1626, today in the Museum de Lakenhal, Leiden, which is almost in reverse of the present painting – Pilate turns towards the audience, and the archway, silhouetting the soldiers and their weapons, appears in the background.² The rich, gold and red cope that Pilate wears here is almost identical to that worn by Pilate in Lievens' work, as well as by the kneeling king in Abraham Bloemaert's Adoration of the Magi of 1624, in the Centraal Museum, Utrecht.³ And the figures in the upper right corner are also reminiscent of the work of Utrecht-based painter, Gerrit van Honthorst. Interestingly, a painting sold at Jacques Schulman, Amsterdam, 20 October 1903, lot 882 (recorded at the RKD, The Hague), with an old (and erroneous) attribution to Honthorst, undoubtedly depicts the same model as Pilate here, as the father of the Prodigal Son, wearing similar costume and with two men in the same pose behind his shoulder.

We are grateful to Dr. Wayne Franits, Dr. Bernhard Schnackenburg and Dr. Jasper Hillegers for their help in the cataloguing of this lot. Dr. Hillegers also points out the similarity in handling between the present work and the painting with an erstwhile association with the Amsterdam painter, Lambert Jacobsz. - The Last Supper, in the Kadriorg Art Museum, Tallinn;⁴ he also tentatively suggests the possibility of a lost Utrecht prototype (possibly by Bloemaert or Honthorst) in which all these iterations of the subject, composition and motifs might find their source.

1 Inv. no. 1363; see E. Lessing and V. Pomarède, The Louvre. All the paintings, Paris 2011, p. 318, no. 4, reproduced in colour. This painting has been associated with that sold in Paris, firstly 6 January 1794, lot 14, and subsequently 21 July 1795, lot 22, as Gerrit van Honthorst.
2 Inv. no. S 2195; see A.K. Wheelock, in Jan Lievens. A Dutch Master Rediscovered, exh. cat., New Haven and London 2008, p. 94, cat. no. 7, reproduced in colour p. 95.
3 Inv. no. 2575; see M. Roethlisberger, Abraham Bloemaert and his sons, Doornspijk 1993, vol. I, p. 39, cat. no. 387; reproduced vol. II, figs 543 and 545;
4 Inv. no. EKM j 46265.