FERDINAND BOL | Portrait of a lady, three-quarter length, in black silk dress and pearls, in interior setting with landscape beyond

With Schaeffer Galleries, New York;
From whom acquired by Cornelia and Alfred Feininger, New York;
By whom bequeathed to the present owner circa 1980.

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 recently restored. The canvas has an old lining. The paint layer is stable. Although the cracking is very slightly raised, the surface is attractive. A dirt layer does makes identifying retouches under ultraviolet light difficult, but there are retouches in the chest of the figure, particularly on the left side. There may be some retouches in the forehead and beneath the eye on the right. Although other retouches may become apparent when the picture is cleaned, it does not seem that they are numerous. It properly restored, the work should be seen to be in very good state.
"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 cut of the elegant black gown and hairstyle of the sitter indicate that this portrait dates from the late 1650s to 1660s, at the height of Bol's success as a portrait painter.