A woman, seated by a table in fancy costume, freeing a songbird from its cage

Another treatment of the subject by the artist, where the box is shut, is in the Museum Ridder Smit van Gelder, Antwerp (Th. Beherman, Godfried Schalcken, 1988, p.273, no.177, ill.). It derives from an emblem in Jacob Cats, Sinne- en Minnebeelden, 1996 edition (first edition 1618) I, pp.156/7, entitled Reperire, perire est; 'Tvlucht, krijghet lucht .....
De doos is opghedaen, de voghel uytghevlogen;
Ach! maeghdom, teer gewas, dat ons soo licht ontglijt!
Met soecken raecktet wech, met vinden isset quijt.'