Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 4 April 1984, lot 40 (as Circle of Van Orley), for £16,000.

The actual painting is warmer and more red in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. The panel consists of 4 planks, joined vertically, two of them have been reinforced by strips of linnen to the reverse. The panel is slightly bowed. The joins are visible to the front and are restored. The paint surface is overall in good condition, with one small restored damage along the upper right edge and is under a fine layer of dirt and slightly discoloured varnish. Tiny discoloured retouchings can be seen in the cloak of Mary. This is confirmed by the UV light, which furthermore reveals more tiny scattered retouchings. Offered in a wooden frame, with carved fillet, a few chips.
"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."

This work is a confident combination of motifs from the works of Quentin Massys. The Christ Child and the older King to the left appear to be drawn from those featured in Massys' Adoration of the Magi in the Metropolitan Museum, New York;¹  the later, Renaissance architecture can be compared to that in Massys' paintings formerly in the Pannwitz collection and in the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Lyon,² and the faces and figures relate to those in the Workshop altarpiece in Coimbra.³  The Italianate features of the architecture likely dates it to the 1520s in Antwerp.

1. see L. Silver, The Paintings of Quentin Massys, Oxford 1984, p. 226, cat. no. 40, reproduced plate 79
2. see M. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting, volume VII, Leiden 1971, cat nos. 26 and 27, reproduced plates 30 and 31
3. see L. Silver, op. cit., plate 33