Eastman Johnson

Laura Davidson Sears Academy of Fine Arts, Elgin Academy, Elgin, Illinois
Private collection (sold: Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, April 17, 1975, lot 50, illustrated)
Acquired by the present owner at the above sale

John I.H. Baur, An American Genre Painter:  Eastman Johnson, 1824-1906, Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, New York, 1940, no. 97, p. 64

Condition Report from Simon Parkes (Nov. 12, 2009): This painting has been recently restored and should be hung as is. The canvas has been lined. The paint layer is clean and varnished. Eastman Johnson has employed some fairly unusual techniques in this painting, particularly for a 19th century American genre painter. He has lightly rubbed the paint layer in the hair, he has scrapped the paint layer beneath the sleeve on the shadowed side of the chemise below the upheld hand and the hollyhocks on the right side are slightly warn. The scrape marks at the top of the grass in the lower left are original as are the visible pentiments of the edge of the wall on the left side and the little spots of thinness in the dark side of the turkey. There is an un-original patch of abrasion above the signature in the lower left which has been retouched slightly and the bottom edge of the picture is completely repainted; it appears that some damp caused a fairly significant paint loss across the bottom edge. The damage may be hidden under a frame if desired. Under ultraviolet light, along with the few small spots of retouched abrasion in the lower left, there are a handful of tiny dots of retouch visible on the left side. In the turkey itself, there are some spots of retouch in its lower breast and in its neck. Nonetheless, despite the unique technique employed and with the exception of the bottom edge, the condition is very good.Please note this work will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of the artist's work being compiled by Dr. Patricia Hills.
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 version in pastel is in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.