Lot 179
  • 179

Gerrit van Honthorst

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description

  • Gerrit van Honthorst
  • Portrait of a lady, half length, wearing a red cloak
  • signed and dated lower left: Honthorst / 1647
  • oil on canvas, in a painted oval

Provenance

The Craven Collection, Combe Abbey;
by descent to Cornelia, Countess of Craven;
her sale, London, Sotheby's, 27th November 1968, lot 71 (as a portrait of an unknown lady);
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 11th July 1990, lot 19 (bt. for £6600, as an unknown lady);
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 8th July 1994, lot 134 (as a portrait of Louise Hollandine, Princess Palatine, bt. by the present owner) 

 

Literature

J.R. Judson and R.E.O. Ekkart, Gerrit van Honthorst 1592-1656, Ghent 1999, no. 509, pl. 373, p. 323 (as a portrait of an unknown lady, on panel, whereabouts unknown)

Condition

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition with no apparent damage or loss of paint. There is a fine even craquelure overall. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals evidence of an early campaign of minor retouching scattered throughout the background and to the cheeks, lip and eye of the sitter's face. There is a thick even layer of varnish overall which makes further inspection difficult. FRAME Held in a gilt wood and plaster frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

Jusdon and Ekkart mistakenly catalogue this painting as being on panel rather than canvas. However the picture is listed as 'whereabout unknown' and therefore it must be assumed that they never saw the painting first hand. They make one further error in stating that the 1990 sale in which the painting featured was held at Christie's. Chalk markings and old stencils on the reverse of both the stretcher and frame confirm the provenance to be as stated above.