- 179
Jean-Baptiste Greuze
Estimate
70,000 - 100,000 GBP
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Description
- Jean-Baptiste Greuze
- A young girl with auburn hair
- oil on canvas, unframed
Provenance
Major John Charles Trueman Mills (1900–1975), Hilborough Hall, Norfolk;
Thence by inheritance to his wife, Mrs Charles Mills, Hilborough Hall, Norfolk;
By whose Executors sold, London, Christie's, 13 December 1985, lot 73, where acquired by the present owner.
Thence by inheritance to his wife, Mrs Charles Mills, Hilborough Hall, Norfolk;
By whose Executors sold, London, Christie's, 13 December 1985, lot 73, where acquired by the present owner.
Condition
The painting is in overall good condition. The canvas has a rather firm relining and the paint surface is slightly unclean, with some minor superficial dirt. There is a stretcher mark visible to the naked eye approx. 3cm. from the upper margin. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a thick and uneven layer of varnish that makes further investigation difficult. There is however a fine network of craquelure which has been addressed in a previous campaign of restoration on the right hand margin, and some very minor localised retouchings throughout the picture.
"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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
This work, in its quality and execution, is the superior of the two other known versions of this subject: respectively sold New York, Sotheby's, 9 June 1983, lot 77 (as studio of Greuze), and New York, Christie's, 6 June 2012, lot 17 (as attributed to Greuze).
Previously in the possession of the Mills family, this painting formed a part of their collection that included another work attributed to Greuze, Girl with a dog, as well as a large number of landscapes by the likes of Willem Van de Velde the Younger, Salvator Rosa, Aelbert Cuyp and Canaletto.