A family portrait of a scholar and his family within the interior of his study, attributed to Pieter Cornelisz van Egmondt (1614/22 - after 1663). The painting features a well-to-do family with a father, apparently a scholar, seated at his desk with his left hand on a paper, his right hand passing a book to his youngest son. Behind the younger son stands the mother passing a book to the older son. Behind the family is bookshelf with additional books, and in the foreground is the painted image of a bee. The painting would seem to be symbolizing the passing of knowledge from parents to offspring, with the bee as a symbol of hard work. The scholar is dressed in black with a ruff. The wife in black with a pleated skirt and lace collar with a lace head covering and the boys with simple white lawn collars.

The painting is in very good condition and presented in an antique gilt frame, ready to hang. The panel measures 18 5/8” x 18 3/8” and overall with the gilt frame measures 26 5/8” x 27”.

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Provenance: Sotheby’s - Noble and Private Collections - Dr. Stephan and Monika Schminck Collection

Anonymous sale (Sold from the holdings of Leningrad Museums and Palaces), Berlin, Rudolph Lepke, 4–5 June 1929, lot 99 (as Quiryn Brekelenkam);

Anonymous sale, Copenhagen, Rasmussen, 2-18 November 1982, lot 20 (as anonymous Dutch Master).

This painting is included in the database of the RKD under record 284030 as attributed to Pieter Cornelisz van Egmondt, c. 1650

Literature: A. Lasius, Quiringh Gerritsz. Van Brekelenkam, Georg- August-Universität zu Göttingen 1987, p. 177, cat. no. D91 (as not by Brekelenkam);

A. Lasius, Quiringh van Brekelenkam, Doornspijk 1992, p. 177, cat. no. D91 (as not by Brekelenkam).