CORNELIS SAFTLEVEN | A peasant couple smoking and eating, their children with a bowl of coals and playing with a dog

With Wildenstein & Co., London, 1967;
From whom acquired by F.C. Butôt (1906–92), Sankt Gilgen, Austria;
His posthumous sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 16 November 1993, lot 6, for 44,850 Dutch Guilders, when acquired.

Salzburg, Museumpavillon im Mirabellgarten, 12 July – 12 September 1972; Münster, Westfälisches Landesmuseum, 26 September 1972 – 14 January 1973, Niederländische Kunst aus dem Goldenen Jahrhundert;
Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Hollandse en Vlaamse Kunst uit de 17^e eeuw, 16 February – 1 April 1973.

Niederländisches Kunst aus dem Goldenen Jahrhundert--Gemälde und Zeichnungen im Umkreis grosser Meister aus der Sammlung F.C. Butôt, exhib. cat., Salzburg 1972, pp. 114–15, reproduced;
Hollandse en Vlaamse kunst uit de 17e eeuw: hoogtepunten van minder bekende meesters: schilderijen en tekeningen uit de verzameling F.C. Butôt, exhib. cat., Rotterdam 1973, pp. 116–17, reproduced;
W. Schulz, Cornelis Saftleven 1607–1681, Berlin and New York 1978, pp. 240–41, cat. no. 691;
L.J. Bol & G. Keyes, Netherlandish Paintings and Drawings from the Collection of F.C. Butôt, London 1981, p. 238, cat. no. 102, reproduced.

The single oak panel is uncradled, flat and stable. The paint surface is dirty, and the varnish is discoloured. Inspection under ultraviolet light is impeded by the opaque varnish, but there appears to be very little intervention, save for some minor retouching along the lower right margin, in the upper right corner, and a couple of small spots in the background centre and centre left. The painting appears to be in very good overall condition.
"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 is a relatively early work by Cornelis Saftleven, to be dated by comparison with dated peasant interiors from the mid- to late 1630s. At this stage in his career Cornelis was influenced by Flemish genre painters such as Adriaen Brouwer and the early work of David Teniers the Younger.