James Ward, R.A.

STRUCTURE The canvas has a firm lining. There is one puncture hole in the centre of the canvas, just below the belly of the dog (visible in the catalogue illustration from the resultant paint loss), and two small holes in the canvas, upper right, at the tip of the dog's tail. there is one further, very small hole, centre left, to the left of the dog's chest. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in reasonably good condition, though there is a thick layer of very discoloured and opaque varnish overall, and some minor damage to the painting, as mentioned above, which has resulted in loss of paint. The main area of paint loss is in the lower centre of the painting, below the belly of the dog, in an area measuring about an inch squared. Further to this there are some small areas of localised paint separation in the darker pigments of the painting, primarily in the body of the dog, and in the landscape, centre right. There is further minor craquelure in the sky, consistent with the paintings age. It is suggested that the picture would respond well to cleaning. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light is made difficult by the thickness and opacity of the varnish. There is one small area of retouching to the dog's eye, but otherwise there does not appear to be any extensive restoration to the picture. FRAME Held in a carved and gilded, 18th century English frame. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"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."