Attributed to Charles Mellin

Anonymous Sale, London, Christie's, 28 April 1950, lot 124 (as Carracci), for 38 Guineas to Wengraf;
The Earl of Fingall, Killeen Castle, Co. Meeth, Ireland, 21 July, 1953, possibly lot 410;
Mrs. Marika Philips (the illegitimate daughter of Diego Rivera), Athelhampton House, Dorset;
Private Collection, Dorset;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Lady"), London, Christie's, 3 December 1997, lot 229, where bought in (as by Emilio Savonanzi).

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 painting has been fairly recently varnished, but seems to be fairly dirty beneath the varnish. The work has a stiff old glue lining. The paint layer is stable. If the varnish is removed and cleaning is carried out the pockmarks visible in the hands, face and lighter areas of the letter and ruffs may become less obvious. There are no retouches visible under ultraviolet light. While it is more than likely that restorations will become apparent when the work is cleaned, the benefits of cleaning the painting far outweigh the liabilities.
"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."

We are grateful to Francesco Petrucci for suggesting, on the basis of an image, that this portrait may be a Roman work by Mellin of circa 1630-40 (see F. Petrucci, Pittura di Ritratto a Roma, Il Seicento, Rome 2007, Vol. III, figures 447-457).