CORNELIS JONSON VAN CEULEN | Portrait of a gentleman, bust length, within a painted oval

oil on panel; signed with monogram and dated lower right: 'C.J. fecit 1625'

With Sedelmeyer, Paris;
With Ehrich Galleries, New York;
Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 3 April 1996, lot 20;
Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 12 March 1998, lot 8;
Anonymous sale ("Property Formerly in the Collection on William M.B. and Bernadette Berger"), New York, Christie's, 9 June 2010, lot 44;
There acquired by the present collector.

Denver, Art Museum, '600 Years of British Painting: The Berger Collection', 10 October 1998-28 March 1999, s.n. 

A.J. Finberg, "A Chronological List of Portraits by Cornelius Johnson", in Walpole Society, vol. X, 1922, p. 11, pl. 12.

The panel is cradled and appears to be comprised of three vertical boards with a possible thin 1in. wide board between the left and center panel. The painting presents a striking figure, with preserved details as seen with the ruff. A thin scratch that is less than 1in. long is at left of the sitter's head. Two small spots of inconsistency on the surface of the paint are on the sitter's shoulder at left and the other at right. Under UV areas of retouching associated with the vertical joins fluoresce. Further smaller spots of retouches that are not too distracting are scattered on the left side of the face and throughout the black shirt. The painting can hang in its present state and is offered in a simple, ebonized frame with a thin inner gold liner.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.

We are grateful to Professor Karen Hearn for endorsing the attribution on the basis of images.