Attributed to Lewis Vaslet

Sir Benjamin Oliver, Exwick House, near Exeter, Devon

STRUCTURE All seem to be stable apart from that of the young woman in dark blue, which has slighly crinkled probably caused by the adhesive when the paper was laid down. PAINT SURFACE All apear to be in very good condition. The young female in the light blue dress has the beginnings of craquelure in the upper right. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals all have retouching to the sitters and to a lesser extent the backgrounds. Two, the whote haired woman in black and white, and the the young woman in the dark blue dress have more notable areas of retouching, the former to a repaired tear in the paper which follows the grain of the wood behind creating a straight vertical line from the top left to the bottom left running through her shoulder. The latter to a repaired jagged tear from her temple to her neckline. FRAME Held in a gilt painted oval frames. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."