Follower of Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian

Chester D. Tripp, Chicago;
By whom given to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1957 (Inv. no. 57.31).

B.B. Fredericksen and F. Zeri, Census of Pre-Nineteenth-Century Italian Paintings in North American Public Collections, Cambridge 1972, pp. 202, 335, 609 (as from the studio of Titian);
K. Baetjer, European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, by artists born in or after 1865, A Summary Catalogue, New York 1980, vol. I, pp. 185-86, vol. II, p. 120, reproduced (as Style of Titian);
K. Baetjer, European Paintings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, by artists born in or after 1865, A Summary Catalogue, New York 1995, p. 80, reproduced (as Style of Titian);
P. Joannides, Titian to 1518: the assumption of genius, New Haven 2001, p. 143, reproduced;
M. Falomir, in Tiziano, exhibition catalogue, Madrid 2003, pp. 142, 350 (as by a follower of Titian).

The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This picture has suffered from strong cleaning, leading to loss of detail and substantial wear to the paint overall. To address these defects, an imprecise restoration that only undermines the appearance further has been carried out. The broad restoration attempts to reconstruct the modeling and contours of the forms without teasing any real information from the remaining original; it is likely safe to assume that the restoration conceals a good deal of wear but also a fair amount of original paint. The left portion of Mary's red garment is the least restored area, giving the truest sense of the best-preserved portions of the painting. Tenting following the horizontal grain is visible throughout but appears stable. The varnish is thick and somewhat cloudy. The support has been thinned and trimmed, additions have been added to the perimeter and a cradle attached to the reverse. Stress from the restrictive nature of the cradle has caused horizontal cracks to develop across the surface.
"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."