In 1948 Sheldon Keck, a leading paintings conservator based at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, proposed a thorough examination and treatment of the painting. His proposal was prompted by a small tear above the still life in the leg of the center figure that occurred while the painting was on view in MoMA's galleries (Conservation record, 14 Oct. 1948). Keck repaired the tear and also proposed to remove the lining and reline the painting with wax-resin adhesive—an alternative to the glue-paste adhesive traditionally used by European liners. A wax-resin adhesive lining was proposed since it was thought to be less reactive to changes in humidity, which might cause distortions of the glue-lined canvas.