We are grateful to Mr. Willem van de Watering for the attribution made on the basis of comparison with similar works signed with the initials 'P.W.' now known to be the artist Pieter Willemsz. van der Stock, an artist who is recorded in Amsterdam inventories of 1636, in which he is refered to as a 'metselaer', referring to his membership of the Amsterdam Mason's Guild which he joined in 1617. In the 1636 and the 1665 inventories he is noted as being responsible for 'perspectives' (see A. Bredius, Künstler-Inventare, pp. 1222 and 1301). He was also mentioned in an unpublished inventory of 1659 (see Bredius' notes in the RKD). For similar works see An Interior of a Palatial Residence, sale, Christie's, London, Dec. 10, 1993, lot 213 as Pieter Willemsz.; An Interior with Jesters entertaining Gentlefolk, sale, Christie's, London, March 13, 1987, lot 113 as Dirck van Delen; An Interior with a Lady formerly in the collection of A.C. Canessa, Rome.