Studio of Sir Peter Paul Rubens

Sale, New York, Sotheby's, 14 October 1999, lot 89 (as Studio of Rubens);
Where purchased by the present collector.

The panel is flat and stable, made up of four (or possibly five), horizontal boards and is cradled on the reverse. The horizontal panel joins in the lower section are faintly visible on the face of the painting in the lower section though this does not distract from the image. The painting appears to have been sensitively restored in the recent past and requires no further work. The paint surface is good overall, there is an old repaired loss visible in raking light along the panel join at the center, running approx. 3 in. from the right side of the mouth. Inspection under UV reveals minor retouching scattered throughout the background and more extensively through the sitter's habit. Retouches have been finely applied to some of the panel joins in the lower section and the aforementioned join and loss at the center. There are retouched losses of approx 1/4 by 3 in. in the upper right corner and finely applied strengthening to the lines of shadow around the eyes and nose. The painting is read to hang in its present state and is offered in an old elaborately carved gilt wood frame.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This portrait repeats in reverse the painting by Rubens in the Statens Museum of Kunst, Copenhagen (inv. no. KMS3884).  The museum also has a drawing by William Paneels based on the present composition (see J. Garff & E. de la Fuente Pederson, Rubens Cantoor. The Drawings of Willem Panneels, 2 vols., Copenhagen 1988, p. 68-69 and pl.69).