Provenance:

The Late John G. Johnson, Esq., presented to The W.P. Wilstach Collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1912 as “Eugene Delacroix”, Robaut No. 1931, their inventory number: “W ‘12-1-9”;
Sold The Memorial Hall, Philadelphia, Samuel T. Freeman Auction House on October 30, 1954, lot 218 as “Eugene Delacroix (After Veronese)”;
From whom purchased by the late Herman V. Baker, Philadelphia;
Private Collection, Philadelphia; by descent

Literature:

“Catalogue of the W.P. Wilstach Collection”, Fairmont Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1922, no. 91, p.38 as “Eugene Delacroix”;
The Memorial Hall, Philadelphia, Samuel T. Freeman Auction House, copy of the catalogue entry, October 30, 1954, lot 218, as “Eugene Delacroix (After Veronese)”, Robaut No. 1931, illustrated;
Lee Johnson, The Paintings of Eugene Delacroix A Critical Catalogue 1816-1831, Volume I. Text, 1981, “Copies After the Masters, Catalogue No. 14-15, p.13” and discussions for L17

Note:

This copy of a very small portion of the group of illustrious guests seated at the left in Veronese’s large picture (21 feet x 32 feet) of “The Marriage At Cana (Cana of Galilee)” of 1563 in the Louvre was presented to the Wilstach Collection by John G. Johnson in 1912 as a work by Eugene Delacroix, Robaut No. 1931. This work is recorded in the “Catalogue of the W.P. Wilstach Collection”, No. 91, described as “Eugene Delacroix”: “A Group - Five bust length figures. Alfonso D’Aralos, as the bridegroom, and Eleanora of Austria, the bride. To the right is the Sultan.”

Since the sale in 1824, the attribution to Delacroix was challenged as doubtful, encouraging an alternative “Attribution to Gericault”. According to Thore Ann ED, lot 156 in Delacroix’s posthumous sale, listed in the catalogue as “Autre fragment du meme tableau” was in fact by Theodore Gericault and had been bought by Delacroix at the former’s sale in 1824. It was sold to M. Lehmann at Delacroix’s posthumous sale and catalogued by Robaut, without a reproduction, as No. 1931. Conversely, No. 1931, which is held in a Private Collection in Paris, represents the same heads as this copy but includes additional heads: the head of a dwarf (to the left) and six figures immediately above, the dimensions being .84m x 1.00 m., much larger than this lot.

Robaut made an error for No. 1931 as well he erred on another copy from the “Marriage at Cana” from Delacroix’s posthumous sale in February 1864, lot 155, he described it as ”Tete du jouer de viole des Noces de Cana” without having seen it.

On June 10 1820, Delacroix’s friend, Edouard Soulier “found Delacroix up a ladder copying heads in the “Marriage of Cana”. Though only two copies of details from the “Marriage at Cana” are listed in the catalogue of the posthumous sale, three, all attributed to Delacroix, are contained in Inv. Delacroix (nos. 60, 78, 198). Thus if the subject was correct in all three cases, one study is lost. One of these copies measured 63 x 80 cm., the approximate size of this lot. This may be the lost copy.