Hans Rottenhammer

With Arnoldie-Livie, Munich, 1998.

The copper sheet is uncradled. The sheet is flat. The paint surface is very secure and stable, and also very clean. The colours, particularly the garments, are rich and vibrant. Traces of impasto can be found on the white highlights. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals an even varnish and very minor retouchings along parts of the left and right edge, probably due to frame abrasion. Very small areas of retouching can be seen just above the Virgin's head and to the left of her arm. There are also very few small scattered retouchings in the background of the upper half of the composition. A repair to a scratch measuring approximately 3.5 cm can be seen running through the scroll held by the angel at upper centre. Overall the work is largely free of retouching and is in good condition. The work is offered in a carved wood frame with burr walnut effect, overall in good condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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This composition repeats, with minor alterations to the angels and the immediate foreground, Rottenhammer's large-scale Adoration of the Shepherds of 1608 in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna (inv. no. 1101).¹ By that year the artist had settled in Augsburg, after a lengthy stay in Venice, where he remained for the rest of his life, barring a brief excursion in 1609 to Bückeburg, near Hannover. There he worked for Count Ernst von Schaumburg, decorating the ceiling of the so-called Goldener Saal in the newly constructed Weser-Renaissance Schloss. Following his return to his homeland, Rottenhammer's figural style remained strongly rooted in Venice, and recalls Venetian prototypes in both pose and expression. In the present picture the debt to Veronese reveals itself most strongly.

1. See Die Gemäldegalerie des Kunsthistorischen Museums in Wien, Vienna 1991, p. 616, cat. no. 1101.