Adriatic School, early 14th Century

Miss Belle da Costa Greene (1883-1950), New York by 1917;
By whom bequethed to the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York;
By whom sold ("The Property of the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York (From the collection of the late Miss Belle da Costa Greene)"), London, Sotheby's, 14 May 1958, lot 63 (as Workshop of Magaritone D'Arezzo), where purchased by Agnew's for £140;
With Agnew's & Sons, London.

New York, Kleinberger Galleries, November 1917, Loan Exhibition of Italian Primitives, (Catalogue by O. Siren and M. W. Brockwell), cat. no. 1, as Margaritone d'Arezzo, lent by Miss Belle Greene

O. Siren and M.W. Brockwell, Loan Exhibition of Italian Primitives, New York 1917, p. 1, cat. no. 1; 
E.B. Garrison, Italian Romanesque Panel Paintings, Florence 1949, p. 121, cat. no. 315, reproduced (as probably Dalmatian).

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 not been removed from its rather unusual frame for this report. However, it seems that the panel is probably still in its original format. The paint layer is stable and the gilding in the background seems to be original, despite the obvious wear and tear. Under ultraviolet light there are small retouches here and there but this is clearly a picture which currently looks quite dull and lifeless yet if it were to be lightly cleaned, a little more depth were acquired, particularly in the darker colors, and the retouches corrected then in a new frame, the painting would change dramatically.
"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."