Gaetano Gandolfi

Probably Mesdames Rullier;

Probably by whom sold, Lyon, Jean-Claude Anaf & Associé, 5 June 1994, lot 115 (as attributed to Ubaldo Gandolfi, 'Jeune garçon en buste de face coiffé d'un bonnet rouge');

With Bob Haboldt & Co., New York and Paris, by May 1995 (as Ubaldo Gandolfi), from whom acquired.

The canvas has a fairly recent sympathetic lining. The paint surface is in exceptionally good condition, the impasto beautifully intact and barely any sign of subsequent intervention from restorers. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals only the most minor of retouchings such as to the top of the dark part of his right nostril.
"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."

Gaetano Gandolfi painted intimate and informal head and bust-length studies in oils of boys, youths and girls, some of the former his own children. This study can be compared with others painted in a similarly free manner using a broad brush which can be dated from the late 1760s until the mid-1770s.¹ While many of his subjects look out at the viewer, the direct gaze and projecting gesturing right hand in the present work is unusually arresting.

We are grateful to Dott.ssa Donatella Biagi Maino for her enthusiastic endorsement of the attribution to Gaetano Gandolfi, describing the work as a capolavoro.²

1. See D. Biagi Maino, Gaetano Gandolfi, Turin 1995, pp. 347–48, 349, 353–54 and 365, nos 15, 22, 37–40, 42 and 79, reproduced figs 16, 24, 40–44, 76 and colour plate LX.

2. Written communication, 25 September 2017.