FOLLOWER OF ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN | Virgin and Child with a rosary;Salvator Mundi

Virgin: The panel is situated within an engaged frame. The paint surface is dirty and the varnish slightly discoloured and uneven. There are two vertical splits in the panel which follow the grain of the wood: one begins just above Christ’s head and carries through to the lower margin; the other runs the height of the panel and begins along the upper margin above the Virgin’s head. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals retouching along the latter of these splits. It also reveals further fine, vertical lines in the figures’ flesh tones, to reduce the appearance of craquelure, and more concentrated areas in the Virgin’s proper right eye and forehead, as well as in the dark background surrounding her head. Christ: The panel is situated within an engaged frame.The paint surface is dirty and the varnish slightly discoloured and uneven. Some vertical surface cracking along the panel grain is visible under raking light, most notably on either side of the figure of Christ - there is visible retouching along the top half of the vertical crack which seems to run the height of the panel on the left. There is a small spot of paint loss in Christ’s proper right shoulder. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms the aforementioned retouching, and reveals some spot retouchings: a few scattered in Christ’s face, notably his nose and beard, as well as in his hands and cloak, and more concentrated areas in the background surrounding his head.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The Virgin and Child is derived from a lost painting by Rogier van der Weyden, of which a copy was formerly in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg.¹ The Salvator Mundi appears to be based on a painting by the master, today in the Bob Jones University Collection of Religious Paintings, Greenville, South Carolina; another version was on the art market in Berlin, 1924.² 1 M.J. Friedländer, Early Netherlandish Painting, Leiden 1971, vol. II, p. 86, cat. no. 116, reproduced pl. 123, fig. 116.
2 Friedländer 1971, p. 88, cat. no. 124a, reproduced pl. 126, fig. 124a.