The following condition report is provided by Henry Gentle who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's:
All four oak panels have been reduced in their depth, maroflaged on to a new oak suppport and cradled.
The panels have a central horizontal join with associated minor paint loss, visible under u-v to three of them.
All panels are flat but all show a degree of fine horizontal hair line fractures emanating from the left and right edges, and through the central sections.
These hairline fractures are visible to the eye but have no paint loss.
The paint layers, to all panels, are in very good preserved condition.
The textured paint and impasted details are in original condition.
‘Spring’ has some minor pitted loss through the sky, upper right corner, which is not well colour matched.
Likewise, ’Autumn’, has some mitigation of the pale ground colour where it has come to dominate through the thinly painted sky, upper right and centrally.
Fine details to all paintings are very well preserved and the chromatic and tonal nuances are retained and appear in excellent original condition.
All paintings present well.
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.
