17th century northern school An old man and a child warming themselves by a brazier - Winter allegory Canvas 85 x 67 cm Our painting can be compared with a similar but different composition, signed by Stap, which was sold at Koller, Zurich, on 23 September 2011, no. 3022. The theme of the young schoolboy and his tutor enabled Stap, like many painters of his time, to depict two ages of life. At the time, this composition could also evoke Rabbi Elijah teaching Samuel or Aristotle instructing Alexander the Great. These symbolic interpretations were common, for example, in the works of Rembrandt and his pupils.