José Sánches (17th Century)

Private Collection, France

The canvas has an old glue lining, which is possibly European. The frame and the lining have not been disturbed for many years. In the upper center of the lining on the reverse, there is an area that has been painted with some grey pigment, and in the upper right of the lining, there it a “T” shape that has been painted with a dark maroon. None of these two areas seem to correspond to any issue on the surface, and therefore, they seem unrelated to any damage to the surface itself. There is one reinforcement in the lower center of the reverse that has been applied with wax as an adhesive. This reinforcement is noticeably amateurish in comparison to the lining and stretcher. This reinforcement attempts to consolidate a diagonal break in the canvas in the light colored portion of the robe around the ankles of the priest in the center. The most noticeable surface issue is that there are numerous dark spots throughout the paint layer. These “fly specks” are common in Old Master works. While these are noticeable throughout, they certainly are not disturbing. The work reads quite evenly milky under ultraviolet light. This milky varnish is not a screen varnish per say, and it has not been added to obfuscate the identification of retouching. Apart from the aforementioned break in the lower center, there is a small amount of abrasion along the bottom edge and two old losses towards the lower left corner. The decorative gilded edge is slightly worn. There seems to be slight weakness to the tacking edge on the right side particularly, which will need reinforcement. The lining in general is healthy. The wax reinforcement in the center should be re-examined. The work could be lightly cleaned. The frame seems to be original with its original gilding, but there is slight weakness and loss to the gesso layer particularly in the lower left. However, the picture looks very well in its current state in many respects, and it seems to be in particularly good condition overall. (This condition report has been provided courtesy of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc.)
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.
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