Between the time of its sale in these rooms in 1913 and its reappearance in the Blakeslee sale in 1915, the present picture, which formerly measured 48 x 35½ in., had been altered by being cut at the bottom and right hand edges. An additional figure recorded in the sale catalogue of 1913 as 'a servant holding a Japanese umbrella', originally to the right of the existing group, had also been overpainted. Walter Bredius recognised this picture as being by Victors in his annotated copy of the 1913 sale catalogue and this assertion was supported by C. Hofstede de Groot in a private note (R.K.D.).

We are grateful to Mr. Willem van de Watering for his assistance in cataloguing this lot