Follower of Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called il Guercino

Countess Micheline von Almeida;
By descent to her husband, Count Rudolph von Almeida, from whom acquired by the present owners.

Lined canvas. A horizontal seam in canvas runs paralell with the upper edge. The top corners have marks of a frame with arched top, which indicates that the painting was reframed and the corners repainted. A poorly repainted scratch across the hair and left eye of the madonna, other retouches to cheek and a repair to her neck. Generally, the surface is stable, with very fine craquelure. Soiled and yellowed varnish. UV light reveals very little; most repaint can be seen with the naked eye.
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.

The present canvas repeats the composition of the upper part of a large altarpiece (and in more or less the width) of the Assumption of the Virgin with Saints Peter and Jerome by Guercino in the Giroldi chapel in the Duomo, Reggio Emilia (see L. Salerno, I Dipinti del Guercino, Rome 1988, p. 194, cat. no. 113, reproduced).  That painting was commissioned from the artist in 1625, and completed in 1626 for the chapel, where it has remained since.  Two canvases for the lateral walls were painted later by the artist, a Madonna with the Martyrdom of Saints John and Paul and a Visitation,  now in the Musée des Augustins, Toulouse, and the Musée des Beaux Arts, Rouen respectively.