When this painting first appeared on the market in the early 1970s it carried an attribution to the Neapolitan still-life painter, Giuseppe Ruoppolo, whose work is recognized by its use of dramatic Caravaggistic light and naturalistic effects. The painting subsequently bore attributions to Simone dell Tintore, a Lucchese painter who was also influenced by the dynamic light of Caravaggio, and, more recently, Franz Werner von Tamm, a German member of the Bentvueghels best known for his flower and game still lifes. Ludovica Trezzani has more recently suggested the work is by an as-yet unidentified close Italian follower of von Tamm (private communication, 7 July 2022).

We are grateful to Ludovica Trezzani for proposing the attribution on the basis of photographs.