Jean-Victor Bertin

Anonymous sale ("Property from a Private Collection"), London, Sotheby's, December 12, 2002, lot 57.

Paris, Salon, 1827, no. 80, "Vue prise à dix milles de Rome, route de Salonine. Marius fuyant de Rome à l'approche de Sylla".

S. Gutwirth, "Jean-Victor Bertin, un paysagiste néo-classique (1767-1824)," in Gazette des Beaux-Arts, no. 6, May-June 1974, vol. LXXXIII, p. 353, no. 108 (as dated 1827, current whereabouts unknown).

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 painting has probably been fairly recently restored and could be hung as is. The canvas has been lined, the sky is in perfect condition and the bulk of the foreground is in similarly good and fresh condition. However, there is an eight-inch long vertical tear in the tree on the right which has been retouched. There are some old paint losses in the rocks in the lower right and in the tree and in the center which have been retouched. In the lower left there is another vertical break running approximately three inches in length, which also seems to have been restored. There may be a few other restorations around the figures addressing some cracks, yet all of these restorations attend to isolated losses and are not symptomatic of abrasion or diminishment of the paint layer. The retouches could be corrected slightly, particularly in the trees on the right.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.