Jane de Montchenu-Lavirotte

This painting has been lined and would benefit from a cleaning. Under UV, the aged varnish fluoresces green.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

From its construction on Catherine de Medici's order in the sixteenth century, Paris' Palais des Tuileries stood on the right bank of the Seine until 1871 when it was destroyed by fire during the Paris Commune.   As shown in the present work, over the next ten years the burned and blackened shell of the great palace remained until the French National Assembly voted for the ruins' demolition.  The diversity of the crowd in de Montchenu-Lavirotte's composition reflects the debate over the Tuileries' preservation as some members of the leisure class thought it a travesty to destroy an architectural landmark while others viewed it as a symbol of past royal regimes.  Though the palace is long gone, visitors to the area today can still see the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel before walking on to Jardin des Tuileries or vising the Louvre.