Gérard de Lairesse

Hinge mounted. The sheet has been reinforced to the left and upper edge with two strips of paper adhered to the edges, verso. There are some old repaired tears to the left and upper edges and some old fold marks that run both vertically and horizontally across the sheet. There is some staining, foxing and surface dirt in places.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Having moved from Liège to Amsterdam in 1664, de Lairesse was initially influenced by the work of Rembrandt, by whom he was portrayed in a penetrating portait dated to the mid-1650s.¹  Following Rembrandt's death in 1669, de Lairesse moved towards an increasingly French neoclassical style, choosing to portray scenes from antiquity such as the present work.  Indeed the subject of Achilles among the daughters of Lycomedes was one that de Lairesse explored on more than one occasion with paintings of the same subject in Stockholm, Braunschweig and The Hague.²

1.  New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 1975.1.140
2.  A. Roy, Gérard de Lairesse 1640-1711, Paris 1992, under nos. P. 54, P. 94 & P. 186, reproduced