Studio of Frans Snyders

Sale: Lempertz, Cologne, November 26-28, 1970, Lot 210;
With Galerie Heinemann, Wiesbaden, 1972;
From whom acquired by the present collector.

H. Robels, Frans Snyders, Stilleben und Tiermaler 1579-1657, Munich 1989, p. 441, cat. no. A76 II (under wrong attributions).

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This large painting on canvas has been mounted onto masonite. While the condition is only fair, the painting certainly does not look its best at present. Being mounted on masonite has stabilized the paint layer and, to a degree, has reduced the cracking to an acceptable point, however, the picture is quite dirty and the restorations that are visible under ultraviolet light are also visible to the naked eye. If the picture were to be cleaned, not only would these restorations be removed, but presumably other, older, restorations addressing numerous smaller damages and restorations here and there would come to light. The benefit of this cleaning would be that the lighter colors, i.e. all of the elements of the still life, would improve and brighten considerably. There is no question that this is a picture that will benefit from cleaning. There seems to be a fairly substantial amount of restoration in the white tablecloth beneath the deer, but this may bethe most significant restoration since throughout the remainder of the painting no large interruptions to the original paint layer seem to be apparent. While removing this panel from the masonite would be preferable, it is not absolutely a necessity.
"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."