Medium Oil on canvas Year 1639 | Artist Judith Leyster | |
 | ||
Dimensions 89 cm × 73.7 cm (35 in × 29.0 in) Location Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia Similar Judith Leyster artwork, Other artwork | ||
The Last Drop is an oil painting by Judith Leyster in the John G. Johnson collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It was considered a work by Frans Hals until 1903, when it was noticed that it is signed 'JL*' on the tankard.
Provenance
The painting was together with Leyster's Merry Trio in the collection of the British dealer/auction house Sir George Donaldson (1845-1925) where it was documented in 1903. The two may be pendants, as they were then reported to have the same measurements. It was sold to Johnson in 1908 where it was documented by Juliane Harms, though at that time the moralizing figure of the skeleton had been painted out and a lamp stood in its place.
According to Hofrichter, the scene shows a common vanitas theme with an inverted tankard and a smoking pipe to show that the party is over. The skeleton holds up an hourglass to emphasize that time is running out on the party, but also on the lives of those present. In contrast, the daylight scene of The Merry Trio serves to show that true gaiety can be found in moderation. Hofrichter only knew the skeleton from x-ray images. The painting has since been restored and the overpaint was removed, revealing the skeleton.