Master of the Bargello Judgement of Paris

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This picture appears to be in an excellent state of preservation although obscured by a dirty and aged varnish. A handful of minimal losses are located around the perimeter of the painted figure, where the paint overlaps the gold ground. A few scattered exit holes from insects are visible on the front. Scattered touches of restoration address minor losses — the largest being a vertical scratch with losses in the upper arm — and a scratch near the bottom, center. Mild cupping along the few drying cracks is most visible in the crimson garment. A superficial scratch across the right side has not affected the paint surface. A heavy layer of nicotine-laden dirt and discolored varnish represses the tonality and vibrancy of the painting. The surface is dull. The wood panel support displays a mild convex lateral warp. The panel has been thinned, exposing old insect damage on the reverse; some exposed worm tunnels have been filled with a gesso-like material. Cleaning may be expected to dramatically improve the appearance of this painting, reinstating the vibrant colors and allowing the figure to better stand out from the gold ground.
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Also known as the Master of the Judgement of Paris, this anonymous painter takes his name from a tondo depicting that subject in the Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence.  The high curve of the angel's forehead, the elongated nose and sweet mouth recall the features of the goddesses shown in profile in the artist's eponymous work.  The figure can also be compared with that of the angel Gabriel in the Master of Bargello's Annunciation scene, in the Courtauld Gallery, London (inv. no. P.1966.GP.126).