Corneille de Lyon

The support consists of a single stable, flat panel bevelled on all bar the bottom edge. The painting has been recently cleaned and restored and varnished, see catalogue note, and the paint surface is secure and in fairly good condition, if a little thin. Details of the original brushwork are evident in the tunic and the sitter’s face. Some retouching work is evident in his beard and hat and this is confirmed under UV light which also reveals scattered minor retouching to the background and sitter’s tunic. The sitter face is largely untouched. Offered in a modern gilt tabernacle style frame in good condition.
"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."

Hitherto unrecorded, this portrait has only recently been discovered after restoration had removed large amounts of overpaint, including a suit of armour covering the sitter's black tunic. The sketchy nature of the costume is typical of Corneille's working method, and indeed was often left unfinished: compare, for example, the Portrait of a gentleman sold in these Rooms, 6 July 2011, lot 37.

Although Netherlandish by birth, Corneille de Lyon spent his working life in France, first as court painter to Queen Eleanor, second wife of François 1er, and subsequently to Henri II, who appointed him Peintre du Roi in 1543. He assumed French nationality four years later and retained it for the remainder of his life.