Egbert Lievensz. van der Poel (Delft 1621-1664 Rotterdam)

The son of a Delft goldsmith, Egbert van der Poel is best known for his brandtjes (little fires) - nocturnes of burning houses and people either saving their own possessions or looting others' - which gained him the accolade of being 'the best painter of fire in all the Netherlands' (G. van Spaan, Beschrijvinge der stad Rotterdam: Stedelijke cultuur en kerkelijk leven, 1577-1620, Rotterdam, 1698, p. 422).

He began his career, however, painting winter landscapes, market scenes and interiors of barns in which peasants and still life compositions of foodstuffs, vessels and other accoutrements appeared, such as the present work. This can be compared with others of that type - for example the Interior of a barn of 1646 (Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam) or the Cottage interior with a maid peeling turnips, signed and dated 1645, sold, Christie's, London, 15 December 1989, lot 159 (£18,000).