School of Fontainebleau, circa 1600

Canvas relined. Originally the canvas was oval and has since been made into a rectangle. Areas of thinnesses include fur and hair and generally in the browns. The flesh tones and reds read much better. The painting, however, still presents a strong and attractive image. Ultraviolet reveals retouches throughout the painting, for example, pinprick retouches in much of the flesh tones and some larger retouches in the background and in her hair and to her forehead. A few of the larger retouches in the background may have been made to restore small tears. All of these retouches have been applied well and the painting may be hung in its present state. In a carved and giltwood frame with some thinnesses in the gilding.
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 identification of the present sitter as Gabrielle d'Estrée is based on comparison between this portrait and two other portraits: Gabrielle et une de ses Soeurs, in the Louvre, Paris, one of the most iconic images in late 16th century French painting, and Gabrielle d'Estrée au Bain, now in the Musée Condé, Chantilly.

Gabrielle d'Estrées was the mistress of Henry IV of France, by whom she bore four children, the most famous of whom was César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme, who in 1626 participated in an unsuccessful plot against Cardinal Richelieu.