With Lewis & Simons Gallery (see Literature).

E. J. Sluijter, De 'Heydensche Fabulen' in de Noordnederlandse Schilderkunst circa 1590 - 1670, The Hague 1986, p. 385. no. 89, reproduced.
M. Roethlisberger, Abraham Bloemaert and His Sons, Doornspijk 1993, pp. 246-247, under cat. no. 378 (as a copy in reverse of the print that appears to be an imitation by a different hand).  

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. In general the condition of this painting seems to be very fresh and the paint layer is unabraded. Because of the heavy old varnish, there are no restorations visible under ultraviolet light, although there are restorations visible in the golden dress of the younger woman on the left. There are similar restorations in the red dress of the woman on the right and a few isolated losses elsewhere. The faces and the hands of the figures seem to be very well preserved. The signature in the lower right has been tested and has been found to be original. Although this picture looks slightly uneven at present, it is actually in very fresh condition and will respond beautifully to the right conservation. The old lining should most likely be changed and although all of the unstable paint around the edges is actually old, the restorations are not original.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Professor Marcel Roethlisberger previously knew this picture only from a poor photograph. 🌳 ෴He has since studied a color transparency of the present painting and now considers it to be an autograph work by Abraham Bloemaert.  

Dated 1647, Vertumnus and Pomona is a new addition to Bloemaert's late oeuvre and may be the last known dated painting by the artist.  In this work, Bloemaert reverts for inspiration to a drawing (Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller, Otterlo) that he made of the same subject some twenty years earlier, circa 1620-30 (see fig. 1).  The present painting differs from the drawing in several ways, most notably in the placement of Pomona's hands, the gestures of Vertumnus, and the architecture in the right background (here a fully realized tower with houses next to it; in the drawing only the sketchily drawn hint of the right side of a tower). 

The composition of the painting and drawing derive from an earlier, 16^th century source, Juno in the Form of Beroë, Nurse to Semele, Warning the Young Girl to Beware of Jupiter's Advances, from the series of Metamorphoses of 1596 after Hendrick Goltzius.

The subject was clearly a favorite of Bloemaert's, for he treated this composition on at least five other occasions in completely different ways - including another print of 1605, three paintings, and a design for a print (See M. Roethlisberger, Abraham Bloemaert and His Sons, Ghent 1993, vol. II, figs. 109, 187 and 413 (paintings) and fig. 151 (print)).  

We are grꦉateful to Professor Marcel Roethlisberger for his assistance with this catalogue note.