JAN VAN DE CAPPELLE | A calm sea

The following condition report is provided by Sarah Walden who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: Jan van de Capelle. Calm Sea. Signed in monogram at lower left. IVC This painting has been backed, unusually, with a complete second panel for extra protection presumably against changes of humidity while travelling, which may certainly be an improvement on cradling. Given naturally that the backing panel is at some slight remove from the original and is stable, which this backing panel certainly appears to be. There is in fact no sign of serious movement in the original panel, or trace of splits or cracking of any sort. A serious recent restoration clearly accompanied the work on the back. The entire foreground, landscape and shipping remain beautifully intact apparently, virtually throughout, with fine delicate rigging untouched and delicately nuanced reflections in the water undisturbed, alongside vigorous brushwork in the sails for instance and light impasto in some of the clouds. Occasional surface retouching can be seen under ultra violet light in this lower area. However in the sky above ultra violet light shows almost constant little surface retouchings, particularly in the upper right side of the sky where coloured light appears, although even in the blue of the upper left sky scattered little retouches are also frequent, as also around the whiter clouds lower down, particularly at lower right for instance. It appears that any sign of craquelure, or of the grain of the wood, may have been touched out on principle. There is certainly no trace of accidental damage or serious wear. The flow of the clouds and luminosity of the sky has been retained nevertheless, without the faintest trace of craquelure however or of the natural grain of the panel. The beautiful overall balance and tone of the painting, with the gentle sweep of the brushwork has still been finely retained. This report was not done under laboratory conditions.
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