CIRCLE OF SIMON VOUET | Portrait of a young man in armor, three-quarter length

oil on canvas, unframed

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 has not been restored for many years. The canvas has a very old lining. The stretcher may be original. The paint layer is noticeably unstable, and the lining has ceased to be effective. There are serious distortions to the surface throughout. Most of the work is very dirty with layers of airborne dirt and old restorations. The face is more or less cleaned, revealing a damage extending from the nose to the hair on the right of the head, one in the eyebrow on the left of the face, and another in the hair in the upper right. Therefore, many more restorations would presumably be revealed if the work were cleaned. It is worth noting that there does not appear to be any abrasion to the features in the face. If the work were carefully cleaned and the existing fillings and restorations replaced, the condition may well improve considerably. Nonetheless, it would still have numerous restored damages.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

The present painting is based on a portrait by Vouet possibly of Saint Guillaume of Aquitaine in the Musée du Louvre, Paris (inv. no. D.L 1970-19).