DUTCH MASTER
17th C.
The Wonder of Haarlem.
Monk and nun.
Oil on canvas.
Relined.
106 x 83cm.
Frame/Pedestal: Framed.
Provenance:
Private ownership; Germany.

A possible interpretation of the depiction refers to the legend that a nun in Haarlem was accused of a secret pregnancy. The monk who was charged with the investigation palpated the woman's breast; but instead of milk; wine flowed; proving the nun's virgin and pious life.
The painting shown here dates back to the laterally reversed depiction by Cornelisz van Haarlem from 1591; which is now exhibited in the Frans-Hals Musein Haarlem.