Pietro della Vecchia

In overall good condition. The canvas has an old relining, the paint surface is relatively clean and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals spot retouchings scattered through the white sleeve, the hands, the faces of the man on the left and the palm reader, as well as very few pinprick retouchings in the faces of the other figures and in the palm reader’s hood. There are also small areas of retouching scattered along the upper, left and lower margins, and to the naked eye there appears to be an area of intervention in the upper right corner. Offered in a carved and gilt wood frame 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."

This particular image is a smaller variant of a work in the Museo Civico, Venice,¹ executed around the 1650s, as well as another in a private collection, published by Rodolfo Pallucchini.² The repetition of the same subject, and even the same character heads, is typical of Pietro della Vecchia. Although clearly datable public commissions record the evolution of his career, the dating of his genre works remains problematic.

1. Inv. no. A. 501; see B. Aikema, Pietro della Vecchia and the heritage of the Renaissance in Venice, Florence 1990, p. 141, cat. no. 166, reproduced in colour fig. 118.
2. R. Pallucchini, La pittura veneziana del Seicento, Milan 1981, vol. I, p. 177, reproduced in colour plate XIII.