Jean-Baptiste Lallemand

"The following condition report has been provided by Henry Gentle, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. The original canvas is lined and the paint layer is slightly unstable in some areas, e.g. lower right. There are prominent stretcher marks and obvious paint thinness to some of the more delicately painted areas, including the inside of the caulked ship, the river in the foreground, the foliage to the trees and the shadows of the buildings. Under ultraviolet light restoration to augment these areas and the reduce pale cracking can be detected. Overall, however, the painting is in a good condition with well preserved paint texture including impastoed areas. Removal of the discoloured varnish would improve the tonality. Offered in a modern gold painted frame in good condition."
"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."

A native of Dijon, Lallemand is said by his earliest biographers to have made a visit to England before he settled in Paris in the 1730s. The present work may date from this period, but the buildings depicted would suggest a more likely date around 1773 when an artist of this name exhibited a Still Life at the Society of Artists in London. The view is adapted from an engraving by Maurer of 1753, which shows the Custom House in the foreground and the Tower of London in the distance.