Venetian School, 15th century

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. Although this work has not been recently restored, much of the picture seems to be in very good condition. The panel is flat and the panel layer is stable. The cradle on the reverse of the panel seems to be effective. The condition of the paint layer is particularly good in the figures, especially in the faces and the hands. There is a similarly unrestored paint layer in the sky. Although it shows fairly distinctive cracking, it does not seem that this is a work that has received any significant retouches at all. No retouches are visible under ultraviolet light except for a few spots around the extreme edges. If the work were carefully cleaned, considerably more depth would be acquired in the robe of the Madonna. This is a picture that could be left almost completely unretouched, despite the cracking.
"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."