Studio of Jean-François de Troy

Franchetti Collection, Venice;
By whom sold, Paris, Palais Galliera, December 2, 1974, lot 30;
Anonymous sale, Paris, Hôtel Drouot, November 29, 1991, lot 37 (as Attributed to Jean-François de Troy).

C. Leribault, Jean-François de Troy, Paris 2002, p. 407, under cat. no. P. 326 (as a workshop replica).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This interesting work is quite dirty. It is certainly a picture which will benefit greatly from cleaning, and it may well be that its authorship will be more easily identified when the painting is clean. The condition is very good. There are no damages or restorations visible to the naked eye which will become more obvious when the picture is cleaned. There are some losses in the upper left, but there is a visible strength and freshness to the paint layer throughout the figures which is unusual and inviting.
"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."

This appears to be a high-quality workshop replica of De Troy's signed painting of 1748 today in the Fundacíon Luis A. Ferré, Ponce (Puerto Rico), for which see Leribault, under Literature, cat. no. P. 326, reproduced in colour on p. 121.