Molins Collection, Spain (as by Crispijn van den Broeck).

M. Diaz Pardon, "Algunas pinturas ineditas de Crispin van den Broeck en Espana (Un homologo del Greco en los Paises Bajos)," in Studies of the History of Art, vol. 13,  (El Greco: Italy and Spain), National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1981, p. 79, reproduced p. 78, fig. 2;
B.W. Meijer in Musei e Gallerie di Milano: Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, vol. I, Milan 2005, p. 316, under cat. no. 127, "Pittore Fiamingo, circa 1540-1550, Cristo Lava i Piedi degli apostoli, inv. no. 107." 

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 been nicely and recently restored and framed, and should be hung as is. The canvas is made from two pieces of linen joined vertically through the center left side. This join is very slightly visible but secured by the lining. Not unusually for a large picture from this period there are regular and well applied restorations which are clearly visible under ultraviolet light; hardly any are visible to the naked eye. These restorations attend to cracking, a little discoloration and thinness and to the vertical canvas join. None of the restorations are concentrated in any one area, although they are reasonably numerous here and there. The picture has been nicely preserved and has a good, sharp quality, which should be noted.
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.

Although Allegory of the Sea has been studied by many scholars, they have not been able to agree upon a certain attribution for this impressive work.  Attributions to each of the brothers Crispijn and Hendrik van den Broeck, Vincent Sallaer, and, most convincingly, Stradanus, have been supported.  What is very clear, is that this Allegory of the Sea was made by a Flemish artist who worked in Italy circa 1570-80, and who would have been exposed to the influence of the great late Renaissance and Mannerist artists of Florence and Mantua. 

Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus, was born in Bruges in 1523.  He trained for three years in Antwerp under Pieter Aertsen, and became a master in 1545.  In that same year Stradanus left for Italy; he stayed in Florence from 1546-1550 and then in Rome from 1550-53, where he worked with Francesco Salviati, whose style had a profound influence on Stradanus' development.  It was also in Rome that Stradanus studied Michelangelo's Last Judgment and he made a series of black chalk drawings after this masterpiece.  Stradanus spent most of the rest of his life in Florence, designing and executing large decorative schemes.  The difficulty in securely attributing paintings to the artist  is in part due to the rarity of works on canvas by him.