JOHANN GEORG MEYER VON BREMEN | Blind Man's Bluff

Mrs. Thomas A. Scott, Philadelphia (probably acquired in the late nineteenth century) 
Thence by descent to the present owner 

Viewed out of the frame. Oil on canvas laid down on board. The work presents well and the surface is stable, aside from surface dirt and dust, a few pin dots of accretion, and faint craquelure on the figure group and at upper right. Old varnish has yellowed. Frame abrasion is scattered at the edges, with a very few associated minor losses. Under UV: heavy varnish fluoresces green unevenly and there is some inpainting to address prior frame abrasion visible along lower left and right edges. Some pigments fluoresce at center right.
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.

One of the early owners of the present lot was Mrs. Thomas Scott (née Annie Riddle), the wife of the president of the Pennsylvania Railroad and cousin of Mary Cassatt. A Pennsylvania native, Mrs. Scott expatriated to Paris in the 1880s, and it was there that she became part of Cassatt's inner circle and began building her art collection, which included an Édouard Manet, Jeune fille en déshabillé, that was later lent to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.