Louis-Leopold Boilly

Sénateur Boittelle;
His sale, Paris, Pillet, 24 April 1866, lot 6;
Where acquired by Mr. Mason;
His sale, Paris, Pillet, 1 February 1875, lot 3 (to Mr. Borel);
Anonymous sale, Paris, Rheims, 23 May 1951, lot 19;
Acquired by Antenor Patiño, for his house in Avenue Foch, Paris;
Thence by descent until sold anonymously ('The Property from a Mid-Western Estate'), New York, Christie's, 22 May 1998, lot 131.

H. Harrisse, L-L. Boilly, sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris 1898, p. 93, no. 114.

The canvas has been relined. The paint surface is in good condition and secure, though a little flat in the brown tones of the background. The painting is under a glossy and uneven varnish. Some retouchings to the mother's left arm, right hand and dress, the dress of the child, and some scattered spot retouchings to the background are visible to the naked eye due to discolouration and uneveness. There is a small area of paint loss in the upper right hand corner and along the right hand margin, and there is frame abrasion along the right, left and lower margin but no major damages to the work are apparent. Inspection under UV light is impeded by the reflective varnish covering the work but does confirm the aforementioned retouchings. Offered in a gilt wood and plaster frame in fair condition.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

We are grateful to Alastair Laing for confirming the attribution to Boilly after inspection of the original and to Pascal Zuber for confirming the attribution on the basis of photographs.