A BUFFOON PLAYING A LUTE

THE ORIGINAL IS IN THE LOUVRE, WHERE IT ENTERED IN 1984 FROM THE ROTHSCHILD COLLECTION. AN EARLY COPY AFTER THIS COMPOSITION, INCLUDING MINOR DIFFERENCES SUCH AS THE PARTING OF THE HAIR, NOWADAYS ATTRIBUTED TO JUDITH LEYSTER, IS IN THE RIJKSMUSEUM, AMSTERDAM (SEE F.F. HOFRICHTER, JUDITH LEYSTER, A WOMAN PAINTER IN HOLLAND'S GOLDEN AGE, 1989, P.37). SINCE BODIFéE'S COPY FOLLOWS THE RIJKSMUSEUM PICTURE IN MOST DETAILS, THIS MUST HAVE SERVED AS THE PROTOTYPE.