Attributed to Herman Mijnets Doncker (Dutch, 1600-1666) A family group of a merchant, his wife and children, standing by the shore, a merchantman beyond Oil on panel 87 x 113cm Provenance: By descent within a Dutch family. Condition report: Oil on panel which is constructed from 3 boards in horizontal alignment. The panel has a cradle on the reverse comprised of vertical and horizontal battens, a later addition to keep the panel in plane. Old butterfly inserts are visible beneath the cradle. There has been some movement in the upper join which is visible. The lower join is very stable with little evidence of movement. The panel is in plane with only a slight horizontal warp, it is held in the frame with nails on all four sides. There appears to be extensive overpaint in the sky. As is typical with paintings of this date, as paint layer ages the woodgrain becomes visible, this can be seen in the sitter's faces. It is possible that the background has suffered from loss and wear, some evidence of this can be seen at the right hand side. The overpaint in the sky has become very pale and has horizontal lines scored through it to mimic the woodgrain. It is unclear what the condition of the original paint below this is. In comparison, the figures are in a good condition, notably the black clothes. There are some retouchings on the figures, in the blacks these are readily visible to the naked eye but the faces they are finely painted. The varnish is yellowed, even and semi-glossy. There is some wear to the wooden frame but overall it is in a good condition.