Property from an Important American Collection
Guido Reni
Bologna 1575 - 1642
Ecce Homo
oil on canvas
28 ¼ by 21 ⅞ in.; 71.6 by 55.8 cm.
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 work is generally in very good condition. The paint layer itself is beautifully preserved, and Reni's signature free application remains evident throughout. The canvas is lined. While the cracking throughout is quite raised despite the lining, the paint layer seems stable. The work is clean.
There are a few small retouches in the shoulder on the left. There is a diagonal line of retouching about 2 inches in length in the shoulder on the right, and a thin line of retouches extending from here to the right edge measuring about 3 inches. There is one retouching in the back of the right hand, and another in the chest directly above. The head shows one retouching to the left of the mouth, and another by the ear on the right. There is a handful of small retouches to the right of the staff in the upper right, and a small group in the lower right corner.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In the Posthumous inventory of Sparre’s effects dawn up in 1794, when in the Sahlgren-Sparre Palace in Gothenburg; no. 25, in the Blue Chamber;
Thence by descent in Gothenburg to his son-in-law Jacob Gustaf de la Gardie (1768-1842);
By whom sold circa 1840 with the entire Sparre Collection to Carl Count de Geer of Leufstra;
Kept at the Palace in Gothenburg until 1855, when given to the granddaughter of the above and sent to her house at Wanås in southern Sweden;
Thence by family descent in the same house until sold (‘The Property of a Gentleman’), London, Sotheby’s, 6 December 2006, lot 39;
There acquired by the present owner.
D.S. Pepper, Guido Reni. A Complete Catalogue of his Works..., Oxford 1984, p. 275, under cat. no. 162;
D.S. Pepper, Guido Reni. L'Opera Completa, Novara 1988 (revised and expanded Italian ed. of the above), p. 284, under cat. no. 153;
Old Master Paintings from the collection of Gustaf Adolf Sparre (1746-1794), introduction to the sale catalogue, Sotheby’s, London, 5 December 2007, unpaginated, reproduced fig. 12.