The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is secure and under a yellowed varnish. Inspection under UV light reveals scattered retouchings. Unframed.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A 17th-century copy after Caravaggio's original now in the Kimbell Art Museum, Forth Worth (see J. Spike, Caravaggio, New York & London 2001, p. 37, cat. no. 4, reproduced pp. 38-39). Caravaggio's original (94.2 by 130.9 cm.) was among his most popular and influential compositions and, along with its likely pendant of the Fortune-Teller (99 by 131 cm.), can be dated to circa 1594. The pair were quickly acqui𓆏red by one of Caravaggio's most important patrons, Cardinal Francesco Maria del Monte (1549-1626), for the Palazzo Madama in Rome.

The card game depicted is primera: it was one of the most popular gambling games of the period, and an ancestor of modern poker. It was played with only forty cards, but the aim of the game was very similar. Only four cards are dealt to each of the players and there are only four combinations, a primiera (one card of each suit), supremus (6, 7, ace of the same suit), fluxus (four cards of the same suit) and a chorus (four of a kind). The game is otherwise decided by face points,🉐 as in poker.