Bartolomeo Schedoni

Octave Linet collection, Paris;
His sale, Paris, Palais Gallieri, May 15, 1963, no. 18 (as North Italian school, end of the 16th century, Judith).

E. Negro and N. Roio, Bartolomeo Schedoni, 1578-1615, Modena, 2000, p. 70, cat. no. 10, reproduced.

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 panel is unreinforced on the reverse and looks very original. The paint layer has exhibited some instability in the past and there have been losses associated with this. Most, if not all of the restorations are visible under ultraviolet light and while they could be improved given the right enthusiasm, the restoration is competent as it is. The paint layer seems to be stable although it is quite lumpy in places. The losses, visible under ultraviolet light throughout the picture, have been enthusiastically retouched. Without annotating every single one of these restorations, there are some in the white turban of the female, in her face, and really throughout the picture here and there. The condition is not particularly good, but the restoration, as far as it goes, helps to present the picture well.
"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."

This is a characteristic work from the early stages of Schedoni's career, dating in all likelihood to his time in Modena, just before his final departure to Parma, where he would eventually die in 1615. The present overall composition reflects that of the S. Geminiano in the Duomo of Modena, most notably in the tender and mischievous oval face of Salome. Salome stands out here from the dark background, as Schedoni utilizes Caravaggesque chiaroscuro, illuminated by a beam of light that just emerges from the shadows of the soldier bystander in the left background.