Pietro Paltronieri, called Il Mirandolese

Purchased by the father of the present owner.

Both thinly relined and under very dirty, old varnish. Classical ruins with figures by pool: Some scattered old repairs can be seen in the lower part of canvas (patched on reverse) and some of these are visible to naked eye. there is an old tear at extreme upper right corner. however, the overall paint surface is fairly well retained and image reads well. some buckling of canvas at upper right and left corners. ultraviolet light reveals retouches in lower areas as mentioned above. Gothic ruins: Canvas slightly buckled. there is a slight thinness in some of the darks and an area of old retouching just above bottom edge. old tear at upper right corner and two scuffs at lower center. as with other picture, image still reads reasonably well. ultraviiolet light reveals retouching to upper right and left corners, a few others scattered here and there, but it is hard to see throught the old varnish. These paintings have not been attended to in a long time and would benefit from sensitive restoration. In gilt wood frames with losses to the gilding.
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.

We are grateful to Professor David Marshall, who, based on photographs, has attributed these paintings to Pietro Paltronieri.  As Professor Marshall pointed out, although these compositions appear to be imaginary capriccios, it is possible that Paltronieri painted them during his sojourn in Rome, which likely occured in the first decades of the 18th century.  This tentative dating is based on the inclusion of the stylized papal coat-of-arms in Ruins with Figures before a Pool, which are close in design to the coat-of-arms of Pope Innocent XII, who died in 1700, when Paltronieri was twenty-seven years old.