Circle of Lorenzo di Andrea d'Oderigo, called Lorenzo di Credi

In the present family ownership for two generations.

The catalogue illustration is too dark in tone. The panel support has been thinned andl aid on to a supporting cradle in the past; the upright (fixed) sections of the cradle are however beginning to lose contact with the panel and this will need to be addressed. There are two vertical old splits in the panel, running down through the head of the right hand angel and again to the left of the Madonna. In addition to these there are three smaller hairline splits running down from the top edge to the right of the Madonna as far as her head. The larger splits have opened slightly and these can be seen in the catalogue illustration. The painting is now under a heavy layer of thick discoloured varnish and has developed a pronounced cracking patterns in some areas, such as the yellows of Joseph's robes and the robes of the right hand angel. There has been some recent restoration to surface scratches on either edge of the tondo as well as to losses on the margin above the rocks on the left and a larger damage above the head of Saint Joseph on the right. Beneath the varnish and older and more extensive phase of restoration can be detected under ultra violet light. These include scattered minor local retouchings across parts of the picture surface, and some more extensive intervention in the blues of the Madonna's robes and the clouds of the sky as well as to the rocks on the left and many details in the group of angels below them. Much of this old restoration is quite clumsy and visible to the naked eye and the majority of the picture remains in reasonable condition. This lot is sold with a later giltwood frame with a number of damages.
"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."

The composition derives from Lorenzo di Credi. The Virgin and Christ Child are borrowed from one of several works in which Lorenzo utilises the same basic idiom such as those in; Karlsruhe, Staatliche Kunsthalle; Rome, Collezione Casati Stampa di Soncino; and London, National Gallery.¹  The design and positioning of the three attendants derives from those that accompany Christ at His Baptism in Lorenzo's treatment of that subject in the church of San Domenico, Fiesole, though with some changes to the positioning of the hands.²

1.  See G. Dalli Regoli, Lorenzo di Credi, Pisa 1966, cat. nos. 50, 33, 69, reproduced figs. 71, 72 and 78.
2.  Dalli Regoli, op. cit., cat. no. 96, reproduced figs. 141 and 143.