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. This interesting picture, despite being extremely dirty and unkempt, is in a beautiful state. The canvas has an old lining; since this lining was applied some damage has occurred in the lower right and some paint loss has occurred around the edges. There is an original join in the canvas running down the right side, situated approximately one inch from the edge. There are some small scratches in the varnish, which may have penetrated the paint layer in the lower portion of the picture. There are also a lot of little scratches and losses in general, none of which amount to very much. The important element is that the paint layer itself seems to be very brightly colored, has not been abraded or stained and will respond beautifully to cleaning. Presumably there will be restorations that may be uncovered if the picture is cleaned, yet this should not dissuade one from cleaning the picture, since the results will be very satisfying. This is a picture which will restore extremely well.
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.

We are grateful to Dr. Jan Kosten of the Rijksbureau voor Kuntshistorische Documentatie for suggesting an attribution to the Caravaggesque artist, "R. van Adelo", whose style most closely resembles that of Dirck van Baburen and the School of Utrecht.  There are very few known works by the artist, whose identity is revealed by two paintings which he signed and dated.  One, depicting Joseph Before Pharoah (now in a private collection, and sold, London, Sotheby's, April 8, 1987, lot 55), is signed and dated 1625, and the second, depicting St. John the Baptist Preaching, last recorded in a private collection, Lübeck, Germany, is signed and dated 1628.¹

Dr. Kosten has also suggested that the subject of this painting may be Ahasveros Condemning Haman, from the Book of Esthe♏r, chapter 7, verses 5-10.

1.  See B. Nicolson, Caravaggism in Europe, Turin 1989, vol. 1&nbsꦺp;, p. 53, and vol. 3, reproduced, 1122, 1123, and 1124.