Circle of Adam Elsheimer

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting has been restored and could be hung as is. As is very often the case, re-examining the restoration may be fruitful. It seems the paint layer is a bit dirty and would respond to cleaning. The copper panel is flat, with only a slight depression in the golden robe of the angel. The reverse of the copper is unreinforced. All of the retouches seem to be clearly visible under ultraviolet light. There are some in the rafters in the interior in the upper right, in the shadowed area on the chest of the angel, in the shadows beneath and to the left of the Madonna, in the tablecloth in the lower right and across the lower right corner.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The composition of this small copper closely follows that of a painting by Adam Elsheimer in the upper left register of the House-Altar, of circa 1597-98, in the Staatliche Museen, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.¹  The Berlin painting appears to have been damaged in the past and the inclusion in the present work of much greater detail, such as the embroidery on the tablecloth and angel’s robes, suggests that it may represent the original appearance of the Berlin picture.  Of Elsheimer’s close followers and pupils, this painting may come closest in style to the work of Thomann von Hagelstein (1588-1653).

1.  See K. Andrews, Adam Elsheimer, Oxford 1977, pp. 139-40, cat. no. 2, reproduced pl.  15.