Luca Giordano, called Fa Presto

English private collection.

The canvas has an old and sound relining. The paint surface appears to be in good overall condition with no major damages. There has been considerable flaking along the left and upper edges which is stable but fragile. The painting is dirty and the varnish discoloured and uneven. The paint is fluidly and thinly applied and has slightly worn in some areas. There have been some retouchings to disguise this, around the head, shoulders and armpit as well as to the margins.
"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."

We are grateful to Professor Nicola Spinosa for confirming the attribution on the basis of images and for proposing a date of execution in the late 1650s, during Giordano's Venetian sojourn; the Venetian herring-bone canvas lends weight to this dating. We are also grateful to Professor Giuseppe Scavizzi for independently endorsing the attribution and for proposing that the figure depicted is Saint Peter. A very similar head can be found in a figure in Giordano's Christ amongst the Doctors in the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte in Rome, which was probably painted shortly after Giordano's stay in Venice.¹

 1. See Luca Giordano, exhibition catalogue, Naples 2001, pp. 126-27, cat. no. 25, reproduced in colour.