Elderly Woman in a Kitchen, Flemish School early 18th century attributed to Hendrick Martensz SORGH

Elderly Woman in a Kitchen with a Drinker and a Smoker
Holland, 17th century
Large oil on canvas : 60.5 × 82.5 cm (unframed)
Some older restorations

Beautiful 19th-century tortoiseshell-veneered frame, sold separately for €1,000

A very beautiful 17th-century Dutch interior scene attributed to Hendrick Martensz Sorgh, depicting an elderly woman seated in a spacious kitchen, while in the background two men—one drinking and the other smoking—are gathered near the hearth.

The composition is particularly rich. The figure of the elderly woman, dressed in a red bodice and a loose-fitting dark blue skirt, occupies the right-hand side, accompanied by a small dog. To the left unfolds a remarkable array of household objects: copper cauldrons and basins, a jug, a small barrel, baskets, vegetables, fabrics, and tableware.

The painter skillfully plays on the contrasts between the deep shadows of the interior and the flashes of light that catch on the copper, pewter, white fabric, and the red of the clothing. The foreground almost constitutes a standalone still life, particularly captivating due to the variety of materials and reflections.

This combination of a genre scene with a highly detailed depiction of domestic objects is characteristic of the kitchen interiors painted by Hendrick Martensz Sorgh, one of the leading figures of Dutch genre painting during the Golden Age.

Hendrick Martensz Sorgh
Born in Rotterdam around 1609–1611 and died in the same city in 1670, Hendrick Martensz Sorgh is counted among the characteristic genre painters of the Dutch Golden Age. Traditional accounts identify him as a pupil of Willem Buytewech and David Teniers the Younger. He specialized in particular in peasant interiors, kitchens, taverns, and market scenes, in which he placed remarkable emphasis on the depiction of objects, utensils, and lighting effects. He became a master of the Guild of Saint Luke in Rotterdam around 1636–1637 and served as its director toward the end of his life.

Sorgh’s works are now housed in major European public collections.

- The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam holds a particularly representative collection of his work, including The Lute Player (1661), The Vegetable Market (1664), The Fish Market, and Storm on the Meuse (1668).

- In Rotterdam, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen houses several of his works, including a Farm Interior, a View of the Merwede, a View of the Grand Market in Rotterdam, and a Young Girl at the Window.

- The Kunstmuseum in Basel also holds a Poultry Market by Sorgh.


- Drawings attributed to him are also held in Paris at the Fondation Custodia – Frits Lugt Collection.

This presence in major collections allows us to place our painting within Sorgh’s most characteristic repertoire: the popular interior scene in which the depiction of figures is combined with a true still life of utensils and household objects

The painting is currently set in a significant Dutch frame with tortoiseshell veneer, as shown in the photographs. This frame is not included in the listed price but is sold separately for €1,500, reduced to €1,000 if the frame remains with the painting

Comparable works in public auctions:

Our painting is very similar in size, style, and subject matter to the three lots listed below; the fact that it is attributed to Sorgh by the Tajan auction house in Paris but is unsigned explains the lower price and makes it possible to acquire a Sorgh for less than €3,000

Hendrik Maertensz SORGH (c. 1611–1670)
Men Drinking and Smoking in a Barn
Lot No. 37 Oil on panel, 50.2 x 68.6 cm
Price including fees: 84,509 € (73,080 £)
Old Masters, 19th-Century Paintings and Drawings from a Private
Collection: Selling Without Reserve
July 2, 2025 Christie’s London,
United Kingdom

Hendrik Maertensz SORGH (c. 1611–1670)
Merry Peasants
Lot No. 2072 Oil on panel, 60 x 83.5 cm

Price including fees: 150,000 € Reserve price: 60,000 € Estimate: 80,000 € - 120,000 € Old Master and 19th Century Art
May 21, 2022 Lempertz Cologne, Germany

Hendrik Maertensz SORGH (c. 1611–1670)