Follower of Sir Anthony van Dyck

The painting is on canvas fairly recently laid onto a new panel, there are scattered small areas of old damage, mainly in the hair and at the margins, with repainting visible. The paint surface is quite dirty and the varnish appears uneven. Inspection under ultra violet light reveals the aforementioned restorations in the hair and at the margins, particularly at the lower edge, along with further scattered retouchings throughout, the main concentrations of which are in the back ground to the right of the head, in the sitters neck below his ear. The old and eneven varnish fluoresces opaque making earlier restorations harder to make out but there would appear to be more than one campaign of retouchings. Much of the vigorous brushwork in the face and beard remain in good condition.
"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."