Unequal lovers

Details

WORKSHOP OF DAVID TENIERS II (ANTWERP 1610-1690 BRUSSELS)
Unequal lovers
signed 'D. Teniers.' (lower center, on the table)
oil on panel
10 ¼ x 8 1⁄8 in. (26 x 20.7 cm.)

Provenance

with Abraham Preyer, The Hague.
with Wallis & Son, London.
Anonymous sale; Anderson Galleries, New York, 11-12 April 1928, lot 138, as David Teniers the Younger.
Fred Fillmore French (1883-1936), New York, and by descent.
Anonymous sale; Brunk Auctions, Asheville, NC, 18 January 2015, lot 637, as Follower of David Teniers the Younger, where acquired by the present owner.

Engraved

E. Copper, circa 1682-1725.
R. Sayer, circa 1760s-1792.

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Taylor Alessio Junior Specialist, Head of Part II

talessio@christies.com +1 212 636 2295

Lot Essay

The theme of 'unequal love' was a popular moralizing motif in Northern Europe, appearing frequently in paintings, prints, and literature. In this scene, an older man makes advances towards a young woman, while in the background, an older woman—perhaps his wife or a procuress—looks on from a window. Another version of this composition, now in a private collection in Madrid, includes more obvious erotic symbolism, such as a pot and stirrer, along with a cat seated at the woman's feet, looking out at the viewer (see M. Klinge, David Teniers the Younger: Paintings, Drawings, exhibition catalogue, Antwerp, 1991, no. 12).

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