Giuseppe Cesari, called Cavaliere d'Arpino

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 work has not been recently restored, but it is in very encouraging condition throughout. The paint layer is particularly lively and well preserved, with good fresh colors still evident throughout. The canvas has an old lining, which is reasonably effective, but there is a very strong texture to the paint layer that might be improved if the work were re-lined. There will be significant improvements when the work is cleaned, but there could be an opportunity to retain an original patina, as the work may have never been fully cleaned before. There are a few isolated restorations—one in the lower sky, one in the white bundle at the feet of the Madonna and a few smaller broad restorations elsewhere, particularly along the bottom edge. The work is in excellent condition and can only improve with careful restoration.
"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."

Cavaliere d'Arpino's beautiful Rest on the Flight into Egypt, as yet unpublished, is a newly discovered addition to the artist's oeuvre.  The face of the Virgin, with her delicately pointed nose, small, pert mouth, and large hooded eyes recalls that of the same figure in the artist's Adoration of the Magi and the Arcangel in his Annunciation, both frescos in the Aldobrandini chapel at the church of Santa Maria in Via, Rome.  The facial type appears again in his Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome and an Angel offered at Sotheby's London in 2000.

1.  H. Röttgen,  Il Cavalier Giuseppe Cersari d'Arpino, Rome 2002, p. 40, reproduced fig. 22; Anonymous sale, 6 July 2000, lot 27.