Maria Davenport, Circa 1830

The pair of watercolors appear to be in excellent condition – no losses apparent. The portrait of the young woman has white watercolor highlighting around the cheek and jaw line, and in the collar – this highlighting is more visible since the paper on which the paintings were done has aged slightly. There are pencil inscriptions on the wood backing of the frame which could not be read as there are old paper labels with the names of the subjects which cover the backings and would have to be removed to fully read. They appear to be in the original frames.
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.

A related pair of gouache on artist board miniature portraits, dated 1836, were sold at Sotheby's, New York, The Betram K. Little and Nina Fletcher Little Collection, January 29, 1994, sale 6526, lot 141.