Florentine School, circa 1570

Private collection, Larchmont, New York.

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. The striking portrait, an oil sketch on paper, holds together nicely with its strong imagery despite generalized wear. The original paper support has been adhered to an open weave canvas and paper inserts have been added in the upper left and bottom corners. The picture displays mild undulating planar deformations across the surface. Under ultraviolet illumination one can clearly see restoration addressing two tears in the primary support: the first extending diagonally from the subject's temple on the left into her cheek facing the viewer, and the second U-shaped tear at the bottom extending up to the edge of the woman's chin. Perhaps not surprisingly, given that the picture is a working sketch and not meant to be a finished painting, much of the paint is rubbed. Underdrawing in the form of minimal contours is visible around the chin and nose and less clearly around the eyes. Delicate, light-handed retouching addresses abrasion along the top surface of the brushstrokes.
"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."

This intimate study for the head of a woman comes very close in style to the work produced by the studio of Angolo Bronzino (1503-1572), particularly from circa 1570, when Alesandro Allori (1535-1607) had taken over the workshop. The design is based on a lost cartoon, as evidenced by the beautifully executed under-drawing (fig. 1).

Numerous and significant pentiments can be detected with the naked eye, most notably in the chin, left cheek and nose. It is not immediately clear what the purpose of the present object would have been, but it can be reasonably suggested that it was used in preparation for a tapestry design such as the ones produced by Bronzino for Jan Rost's workshop.¹

1. C. Falciani and A. Natali, Bronzino. Artist and Poet at the Court of the Medici, exhibition catalogue, Florence 2010, pp. 240-41, cat. no. IV.19, reproduced.