Christoffer Wilhelm Eckersberg

Sale: Bruun Rasmussen, Copenhagen, 6 October 1998, lot 196             
Purchased at the above sale by the present owner

Copenhagen, Hirschprungs Collection, Den nogne Guldalder, 1994, no. 55

The sheet is not laid down and is hinged along the upper edge. There is a handful of scattered spots of very faint foxing in the sheet in the background (visible in the catalogue illustration). Under the mount, not visible framed, there is a thin darkened ring following the outer edges of the sheet, probably owing to previous framing, and old adhesive, with remnants of old paper, attached to the extreme upper edge. Overall this work is in good condition, and is ready to hang. The colours of the work are warmer than in the catalogue illustration. Presented in a decorative gilt frame, under glass, with a white mount.
"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."

On 5 September 1840, Eckersberg wrote in his diary: 'Started another picture of the beautiful female model'. The painting he is referring to, for which the present work is a study, was executed on copper and is now in the Fyns Kunstmuseum, Odense. The sitter is Florentine, a model popular with Eckersberg and other contemporary Golden Age painters. She began posing in Eckersberg's studio in August 1840, returning the following summer, and was the model for his celebrated Woman Standing in Front of a Mirror of 1841 (Hirschprung Collection, Copenhagen).