Swiss School, 17th Century

The canvas has been relined, but this has not overly flattened the paint surface. The paint surface is a little dirty and there is some abrasion to the blacks of the sitter's dress and veil. Old, now seemingly secure areas of lifting are apparent in her face, the background and along the lower margin of the painting. There is a small circular knock to the painting centre right and a second just above and to the left of her right elbow (as are visible in the catalogue illustration). There is a very small patch of paint loss to the centre of the left hand margin. Inspection under UV light is somewhat impeded by the reflective varnish covering the work, yet it does seem to indicate fairly extensive retouchings to the dark background and her black dress, but reveals only a few scattered spot retouchings and strengthenings to her face and the lighter parts of the painting. The coat of arms upper left remains untouched. Offered unframed.
"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."