EARLY DUTCH OIL PAINTING

Oil on canvas linen after 17th century Haarlem School "A Dutch Proverb - A Woman Feeding a Bound Cat, Surrounded by Men", the canvas measures approximately 24.8 x 33cm (9 3/4 x 13in); unframed; Provenance: private collection, London; the current owners purchased this work in England in the 1950's, and had it assessed by Sotheby's, Toronto suggesting it was painted in the Netherlands circa 17th century; they mentioned it's unusual that the cat is wrapped in swaddling being fed with a spoon, and the person on the right seems to be holding a griddle; the painting was also assessed by Diane Wyman, fine art restorer in London, Ontario in 2003, who dated this work to the 16th century and explained its interesting history regarding past cleaning and varnishing techniques; her full detailed report is included