Vicente Carducho

Stanislas Baron;
Sir Francis Cook, 1st Bt., (1817-1901), and thence by descent at Doughty House, Richmond to
Sir Francis Ferdinand Maurice Cook, 4th Bt., (1907-1978);
His sale, London, Sotheby's, 25 June 1958, lot 46, for £220 (as Francisco Herrera the Younger);
With Arcade Gallery, London;
Mr. and Mrs. M. Lincoln Schuster, New York;
Sold by the Estate of Mrs. M. Lincoln Schuster, New York, Sotheby's, 2 December 1976, lot 267 (as Vincente Carducho);
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Private Collector'), New York, Christie's, 31 May 1990, lot 14, unsold (as Vicente Carducho).

The New Gallery, 1895, no. 161 (as Alonso Cano);
London, Grafton Galleries, Exhibition of Spanish Old Masters, in support of National Gallery Funds and for the benefit of the 'Sociedad de Amigos del Arte Española', October 1913-January 1914, no. 136 (as Francisco Herrera the Younger).

A. L. Mayer, Die Sevillaner Malerschule, 1911, p. 144 (as Herrera the Younger);
Abridged Catalogue of the Pictures at Doughty House, Richmond. Belonging to Sir Frederick Cook, Bart. Visconde de Monserrate, editions 1907 & 1914, p.44, no. 18 (as in The Organ Room);
A. L. Mayer, Geschichte der Spanischen Malerei, Leipzig 1922, p. 308;
T. Borenius, A catalogue of the Paintings at Doughty House, Richmond and elsewhere in the collection of Sir Frederick Cook, Bt., 1915, vol. III, p. 158, no. 520, reproduced fig. 520 (as in The Organ Room);
M. W. Brockwell, Abridged catalogue of the pictures at Doughty House, Richmond Surrey, in the Collection of Sir Herbert Cook Bart., London 1932, p. 58, cat. no. 520.

The canvas has an old firm relining. The paint surface appears to be quite worn, and there is discoloured restrengthening around the face and the right hand, and to a small part of the back of his hood. Pentimenti is visible along the saint's back. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows retouching to the following old damages: an angle-shaped tear measuring 24 cm. in total situated in the upper left corner; four small tears upper right corner, and one longer inverted L-shaped tear, measuring approximately 31 cm. There are two repaired tears measuring approximately 7.5 cm. by the saint's shoulder. In the centre right by the putti there are several small repaired damages, all around 2 cm. in size; lower right there are some minor tears and one longer vertical tear on the saint's lower body, measuring 24 cm. There are are patches of repainting all along the left margin. There is restrengthening at the tip of the saint's beard, on his right hand, and otherwise just scattered infilling of craquelure. This lot is offered in a heavy carved gilt wood frame, with very minor scratches to the paint, but otherwise in very 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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The margins of the picture have taken several different forms: sometime after 1945 it was cleaned to show the Saint kneeling on the ground beside a small tree with putti, but prior to 1958 it was repainted again to return it to its pre-1945 state, and remained thus until after the 1990 sale.
We are grateful to Mr. John Somerville, The Cook Collection Archivist, for his help in researching this lot on the basis of an emailed image.