Francesco da Ponte, called Francesco Bassano the Younger

Mr. C.M. Holmquist (according to an old label on the reverse);
With E & A. Silberman, New York.

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 oil on canvas has a very old glue lining. The lining is good and the paint layer is stable. The painting has been more recently cleaned and varnished. The varnish is a little soft, and the texture of the painting is quite rough. However, the actual condition of the painting does not seem to be troubled in any way. There are a few isolated spots of retouching in the darker colors, and there is a diagonal restoration beneath the wooden beam in the lower right. However, the figure, the lion and the objects on the table all seem to be very fresh and lively. The condition is good.
"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."

The source of the pose of Saint Jerome in this freely handled and dynamically rendered work may ultimately derive from a picture of the same subject by Jacopo Bassano, from circa 1563, in the Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice (see A. Ballarin, Jacopo Bassano, vol. II, part II, fig. 844). However, despite its clear connection to Jacopo, in St. Jerome's particularly frenzied brushwork and slightly stylized form, it seems likely that this picture was executed by his son Francesco. Francesco Bassano probably executed another near exact version of the composition, today in the Museo Civico, Padua (see E. Arslan, I Bassano, Milan 1960, vol. II, fig. 258).