Genoese School, circa 1600

With Jan and Oscar Klein, Central Picture Galleries, New York;
From whom acquired by the present owner. 

The painting overall presents a handsome and striking image. The canvas is relined and stable with a faintly vertical seam at the right side and a very slight buckle in the upper right corner, though neither are distracting. The paint surface is perhaps a little pressed in areas and is beneath a rather uneven, yellowed varnish. The face, hair, collar and right sleeve are well preserved, there is a little thinness in some of the darks, the lower area of the stockings and shoes and the brocade cloak is a somewhat abraded at the far right side. There is some minor scuffing to the left hand edge. Inspection under UV reveals some small old repaired tears, including a vertical 6 in. repaired tear in the background at left; a smaller L-shaped repaired tear to the left of the sleeve; and a repaired horizontal tear or scratch in the darks of the drapery in the thigh at right. There is some scattered retouching and reinforcement to areas of the background including the curtain at left. The areas of thinness do not detract from the overall image and are only apparent close up and under stark light.
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