School of Lake Constance, circa 1460

Stoll collection, Arlesheim, Switzerland;
M. Wenzel, Bamberg.

Cologne, Wahre Wunder - Sammler und Sammlungen im Rheinland, 2000, no. B 19.

S. Gohr (ed.), Wahre Wunder - Sammler und Sammlungen im Rheinland, 2000, pp. 286-7, no. B 19, reproduced.

"The following condition report has been provided by Sarah Walden, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is on a pine panel that has been cradled after thinning, perhaps a century ago. Some cracks have since been strengthened with plaster behind. There is a central joint, possibly with two other side joints, and the gesso has a layer of linen incorporated in the preparation. There are inevitably cracks and old flaking damage in such large early panels but the paint itself elsewhere throughout has remained in beautiful untouched condition. The only exception is some wear in the gilding, which appears to have been rubbed with water in places. Apart from some fairly rough old restoration down the cracks and in the gold there is scarcely any sign of past intervention generally. The central joint running down through the standing king has a certain amount of broad old retouching, although less in the upper background, and damage tends naturally to collect in the lower parts of a painting. Rather more heavy retouching has been added along a slanting crack running up from the base into the face of the left king, through his fur lined cloak and covering the left half of his face. The fur collar of the central king has two patches of retouching, with some also in the fur of his crown, and the kneeling king has one or two retouched damages across his arm, with a narrow retouched crack through his face. Near the lower right edge there is a large old damage (about three by four inches) in the blue drapery, with more retouching down the lower right edge and a retouched loss of about four or five inches in the lower right corner. There are one or two other minor cracks, sometimes with some tiny more recent lost flakes, probably jolted in transport rather than through any fresh movement in the wood. There is no raised craquelure, however clearly the uneven surface and old cradle could be improved. The Madonna's face has a narrow crack slanting down across the cheek towards a patch of retouching by the nostrils. The retouchings in her blue drapery mentioned above seem rather more recent than any others. The Child has been scarcely touched at all, and Joseph is also intact, as are the fine heads of the two central kings, with their magnificent brocaded robes. The remarkably rich pigments and unworn glazing are beautifully preserved. The donkey's head is rather thin but the upper background landscape and architecture is in good, pure condition with a fine craquelure. The gold brocaded sky and the halo of the Madonna have some exposed ground, probably from washing, which has been patchily replaced in places, with one or two other little patches of shining gold leaf in the halo's and the offerings of the kings. Overall despite the cracks and some messy old restoration, the paint has survived in exceptionally intact unworn condition. This report was not done under laboratory conditions."
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Although described in the Cologne exhibition catalogue as the work of a North German Master, possibly Hermann Rode (highly improbable, given the pinewood panel), this painting is, as Dr Bernd Konrad and Dr Kurt Löcher have independently confirmed, South German, and more precisely, from the Lake Constance (Bodensee) region of Swabia.¹  Both scholars note the influence of Konrad Witz, and in particular of panels painted by Witz circa 1440-50, but both suggest that this is the work of an independent hand, and Dr Konrad suggests a dating of around 1460.²    

1.  Written communications.
2.  In a report dated Radolfzell 5 September 2008, available on request.  Dr Konrad also advanced an alternative attribution to an anonymous Ulm painter known as the Master of Bidpai.