CORNELIS DUSART | A village fair with dancing in the street

Anonymous sale, Amsterdam, de Winter, 8 June 1763, lot 10, for 1005 Florins to Fouquet;
Simon Del Monte (1878–1930), Brussels;
Thence by descent to his daughter, Mrs W. Hooykaas-Del Monte, The Hague;
By whom sold, Amsterdam, Christie’s, 7 May 1992, lot 128;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam;
From whom acquired in 1993 by the present owner.

The Hague, Koninklijke Kunstzaal Kleykamp, Tentoonstelling van Schilderijen door Oud-Hollandsche en Vlaamsche Meesters. Catalogue of the collection: S. Del Monte, Brussels, 1932–1933, no. 45 (as Adriaen van Ostade).

C. Hofstede de Groot, A catalogue raisonné..., vol. III, London 1910, p. 390, cat. no. 807 (as Adriaen van Ostade);
G. Glück, La collection Del Monte, Vienna 1928, cat. no. XLV, reproduced (as Adriaen van Ostade);
P. Bautier, 'La Collection Del Monte à Bruxelles', Gazette des Beaux Arts, vol. XVIII, 1928, p. 324 (as Adriaen van Ostade);
A.L. Mayer, 'Die Sammlung Del Monte in Brüssel', Pantheon, vol. X, October 1929, p. 442, (as Adriaen van Ostade, dated 1663).

The painting has an old and sensitive relining, the reverse of which appears to be thinly layered with wax. The painting has a clear and even varnish, and there are no major damages visible to the naked eye, save for some wear and tear from the frame with associated retouching along the upper margin. The network of craquelure has become more pronounced in the sky, and there is a slight degree of wear visible in the darker tones of the shadows on the inn centre right. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals only a scattering of minor, cosmetic retouchings but otherwise the painting appears in overall good 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."

Long considered to be a work by Adriaen van Ostade, and bearing his added signature, this painting was identified by Dr Bernhard Schnackenburg as an early work by Ostade's pupil, Cornelis Dusart, at the time of its last appearance on the market in 1992.  Schnackenburg dates the painting to an early point in Dusart's career, circa 1678, when he was most under the influence of his teacher. It may be compared to another painting of the same subject, though of smaller dimensions, also previously attributed to Ostade, in the Instituut Collectie Nederland, Amsterdam,¹ as well as to Dusart's most celebrated etching of The Village Fair, dated 1685.²

1 Inv. no. Nk 2090; see Old master paintings. An illustrated summary catalogue, Zwolle and The Hague 1992, p. 232, cat. no. 1997 (as Adriaen van Ostade).
2 F.W.H. Hollstein, Dutch and Flemish etchings, engravings, and woodcuts, ca. 1450–1700, vol. VI, Amsterdam 1952, p. 57.