Master of 1458

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 panel is very healthy. The panel is unreinforced on the reverse and very slightly curved from left to right. The paint layer has slightly cracked throughout yet not to a disturbing or worrying degree. The painting is probably slightly dirty but not unattractively so. There is a good possibility that some of the gilding behind the figures may have been reapplied, which is not unusual. In the figures themselves, the figure on the left seems to be very healthy in the face. The keys have received some restoration and this restoration is not particularly accurate but it is fairly functional. The hair of the beard and of the head of the figure on the right seems to have attracted some retouching. Under ultraviolet light hardly any restorations are visible, except for a small mark under the hand holding the sword, another spot also in the lower right, and a few other very random touches. If cleaned it would be more than likely that other restorations would be revealed, yet cleaning is not already necessarily encouraged. It would be possible to simply refine some of the restorations that exist.
"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."

Based on firsthand inspection, Everett Fahy has identified this painting to be a work by the Master of 1458.  It can be compared to two panels depicting Saint Paul and Saint Peter in the Accademia Carrara, Bergamo (both tempera on panel, 160 by 50 cm.).