Attributed to Carlo Grubacs

With Hazlitt, Gooden & Fox, London;
Giorgio Marsan and Umberta Nasi Collection;
Sale, London, Christie's, 13 December 2007, lot 307.

On an uncradled oak panel that is beveled on all four sides. There is excellent preservation of the paint surface with nice impasto, especially in the foreground figures. Examination under UV shows some very small retouches and reinforcements in the arches and left column at top; there is one small retouch to the white skirt of the figure of the woman in right foreground, and an area along bottom edge at center. Painting is presentable and can be hung as is. In a gilt wood frame with stylized leaf pattern.
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.

Caffè Florian is the most famous of the coffeehouses in the city of Venice, and in fact has claim to be the oldest continuously open establishment of its type in Europe, having opened its doors in December 1720.  Situated in the Piazza San Marco, it has always been a meeting place, and has hosted such local and foreign luminaries as Casanova, Dickens, Goldoni, Byron and Proust.  Its artistic legacy was enhanced when it was the meeting place for the organizers of the first Biennale, held in 1895.