Attributed to Bernardino di Bosio Zaganelli , called Bernardino da Cotignola

Anonymous sale, New York, Sotheby's, 26 January 2007, lot 184.

The following condition report is provided by Sarah Walden, who is an external expert and not an employee of Sotheby's. This painting is on a solid panel, primed behind and with slight old worm damage. It has been given a sort of stretcher some time ago, attached rigidly on all sides and along the two cross bars, some of course against the grain. There are two faint slanting apparently incipient cracks from the upper centre but these may in fact be stable. Old flaking can be seen in many places but there is no sign of any recent movement in the paint. The varnish and present restoration dates perhaps from the mid twentieth century, and under the quite widespread retouching and general tone broadly brushed over much of the surface the fine craquelure of the original can be seen. This is clearly quite thin in places with various old flaking losses, for instance in some of the flesh painting in the Child, with rather more original visible in the face of the Madonna and in St Catherine’s hand and face, whereas the head of the other saint is widely retouched. The architectural surround is also roughly covered in places with overpaint, including the red decorative parts of the throne and the conch shell behind the head of the Madonna, and thinner veiling has been drawn over the pink background areas but the apparently intact fine original craquelure can be seen through this, and the two little statues on each side of the Madonna are quite well preserved. The landscapes behind seem to have been widely strengthened although some thin places can be seen. However a small cleaning test on the tree at upper right shows good original paint in the foliage. There is much reworked paint near the base edge, with some also in the whites, where the original is better preserved. The painting seems to have been through some hard times in the past then more recently a brisk revamping, which maligns the sometimes fine underlying original. This report was not carried out under laboratory conditions.
"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."