After Antonio Canal, called Canaletto

Rev. Hubert A. Holden (according to an inscription on the reverse);
Private collection, France.

This lot is slightly warmer in tone than the catalogue illustration suggests. It is unlined. It has a an old and dirty varnish which can easily be cleaned off and replaced. There are a few scattered retouchings of lost paint scattered throughout the sky. Some minor flaking is beginning in the sky by the left hand tower. UV light reveals the aforementioned retouchings in the sky and some old infilling of craquelure. The work is sold in an old wooden frame painted gold and red, with a few old wood worm holes and some fading of the paint, but structurally sound.
"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 painting, executed circa 1900, is directly based on an original by Canaletto formerly in the Medici Collection at Poggio Imperiale and now in the Uffizi, Florence.¹ According to Constable, it is also closely linked to a drawing in the Royal Collection at Windsor, inv. no. 7451.

1. See Gli Uffizi: Catalogo Generale, Florence 1979, p. 202, cat. no. P353, reproduced.
2. See W.G. Constable and G. Links, Canaletto catalogue raisonné, vol. 2, Oxford 1989, p. 226, cat. no. 102.