Attributed to Enoch Seeman

With St. Luke's Gallery, Washington, D.C.;
Acquired from the above by the present owner circa 1996.

The canvas is not lined. The surface of the work is in overall very good condition. There is craquelure throughout the entire work. The surface is relatively dirty. There is one scratch to the right of the subject half way down the canvas. The lower quarter of the painting has some areas where the paint is thinning.
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.

Born in Danzig (now Gdañsk, Poland), Seemans father, Enoch the Elder, brought his son to London in 1704 to pursue a career in painting. In 1717 he began to complete court portraits, his best known painting from this period being a royal portrait of George I in Coronation Robes (London, Middle Temple). Seeman continued to paint for the court through the late 1730's. In 1717 he executed the well-known portrait of Elihu Yale, now part of the Yale University Collection. A sought after and commercially viable painter in his own lifetime, he played a very noteworthy part in the rich 17th century British portraiture tradition.