Circle of Adam Elsheimer

The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This work on metal is in wonderful condition as is its beautiful tabernacle frame. The panel is flat. The paint layer is stable and shows none of the weakness that is sometimes associated with works on copper. The painting is dirty, and the varnish is quite thick and distracting. At present there are no retouches visible under ultraviolet light. There are no apparent damages or areas that would attract restoration, and it is more than likely that the painting will respond extremely well to cleaning.
"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."

The style and composition of this small copper suggest it is by a Northern artist who worked in Italy.  During the early years of the 17th century, Adam Elsheimer was perhaps the most important such artist; from 1600 until his death ten years later, he was in Rome, where he influenced a generation of Dutch artists who came to study there.  We see his impact in the dramatic lighting reflecting off the robust angels circling the roof of the stable and illuminating the figures below.  The shepherds and St. Joseph, with their strong features and large hands, also are reminiscent of Pieter Lastman, who was in Italy from 1602 to 1607, and he has been suggested as a possible author of this painting.  Lastman returned to the Netherlands in 1607 and, in 1624, was the teacher of the young Rembrandt.