Wolfgang Adam Töpffer

Dieses Werk wird in den in Bearbeitung stehenden Werkkatalog der Gemälde von Wolfgang Adam Töpffer unter der Nummer LBP199 aufgenommen.

Anonymous sale, Zürich, Sotheby's, 17 June 1998, lot 63;
There purchased by the present owner.

This picture is warmer than it appears in the catalogue. This canvas has been relined. The paint layer is stable and in good condition. Under UV, there are two or three isolated touches in the sky, and a few larger areas in the rocky formation to the right. There have also been touches applied to the woodpile in the background and areas in the shadows and darker pigments of the wagon and figures in the center foreground have been strengthened. These touches have been well applied and the painting can be hung as is. In a carved and gilt wood frame.
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.

Töpffer painted numerous landscapes with woodcutters and other woodworkers primarily after 1820. Examples are conserved at the Hermitage, St Petersburg and in the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire, Geneva (Coalhandlers) executed in 1828; a version of this latter work is in the Oskar Reinhart Foundation in Winterthur.

Lucien Boissonnas plans to include this picture as catalogue number LBP199 in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné on Töpffer.