Mauerbach Depository, Austria, from where transferred to the Federation of Austrian Jewish Communities (for a detailed note on this provenance, see lot 412);
By whom sold, Vienna, Mak-Österreichisches Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Christie's, October 29, 1996, lot 66, for ATS380,000, where acquired by the present collector.

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 painting has an old glue lining. The paint layer is stable, well restored and varnished, and we recommend it be hung in its current condition. Retouches are focused in a few cracks in the chests of the children, in a spot or two to the right of the white flowers in the center and in some losses and cracking in the foliage in the upper center. Apart from these restorations, the condition is particularly good and the painting is very fresh and well preserved.
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.

Of all his portraits, Maes' portrayals of children are his most light-hearted and amusing. Elaborate and imaginative pictures such as this are the work of an artist at the height of his creative powers and on these grounds the present group portrait can be dated to Maes' late maturity, probably in the late 1670s or 1680s. It may be compared on stylistic grounds with his Sleeping Venus with Putti in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Nimes, in which the putti are portrayed in similar lively fashion and within a comparable garden setting.¹

Professor Werner Sumowski has confirmed the attribution of this painting to Maes, on the basis of photographs, and dates it ༺;to the 1680s.

1 Inv. no. IP-284; see L. Krempel, Nicolaes Maes, Petersberg 👍2000, p. 360, no. D30, reproduced fig. 298.