Henry Treffry Dunn 1838-1897

SURFACE: Fine horizontal cracks appear 1½ inches from the top edge and similarly from the bottom edge. There is also a fine horizontal crack 1½ inches that appears ¼ inch approximately from the top edge and similarly the same distance from the bottom edge. This is where the panel has been extended. Fine surface cracking appears mainly in the sky. The surface of the painting is dirty and should benefit from cleaning. UV LIGHT: Under UV Light strong restorations appear across this work. COLOUR COMPARISON: The original colours are darker than the catalogue illustration suggests.
"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 Cornish artist Henry Treffry Dunn worked as Dante Gabriel Rossetti's personal secretary and studio assistant in Rossetti's later years at Tudor House in Chelsea. He completed some of Rossetti's unfinished works, painted replicas of paintings for commissions that Rossetti himself was not able to complete and also painted a number of paintings in Rossetti's style. The present picture is very close in style to a series of panels painted for the casement of a remarkable folding bed painted for Theodore Watts Dunton's House, The Pines in Putney (now at Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton). Girl with a Psaltery relates to Rossetti's chalk drawing entitled Forced Music (also known as Violante) although in Rossetti's composition, the model, said to have been Watts Dunton's mistress, is nude.