Jörg Breu the Elder and Studio

J.V. Sheffield, Laverstoke House, Whitchurch, Hampshire, by 1958 (according to an old label on the reverse);
With Robert Holden, London, 1988 (according to Morrall, under Literature).

A. Morrall, Jörg Breu the Elder, Art, Culture, and Belief in Reformation Augsburg, Aldershot 2001, p. 37 and p. 70, footnote 83, reproduced p. 38, fig. 1.17.

The catalogue illustration is a little too red in tone. The pine support has been thinned and recently cradled and is flat and stable. The support consists of three vertical panels, the joins running down on either side of the central figures of the two Maries. There is a small vertical split of about 20 cm running up from the bottom edge in the middle of the central panel. The painting has fairly recently been cleaned and restored and is in very good overall condition. Inspection under ulatr violet light reveals no major damages or repairs. There has been some repair along the panel joins, and some very careful touching out to wear in parts of the background, notably the right hand side of the rood screen and the right hand background stall. A certain number of faces and details of costume have been strengthened but apart from the suckling child lower left, these are all minor. The restoration is well carried out and invisible to the naked eye. The varnish is still even and clear.
"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."

The panel can be compared stylistically to Breu's organ shutters of the Fugger Chapel in Saint Anna, Augsburg, from circa 1517. We are grateful to Ludwig Meyer for endorsing the attribution to Breu and his studio, on the basis of photographs.