Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A.

STRUCTURE The board appears to be in good sound condition. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition with no apparent damage or loss of paint except for some very minor scattered flecks of paint loss in the temple, around the left eye and on the nose, however these seems to have been retouched. There is also a small indentation in the hair immediately above the forehead. There also appears to be a discoloured varnish overall and the paint appears to be thin in places in the darker pigments of the background. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light confirms the presence of the old varnish and reveals old retouching concentrated in the background. There appears to have been a more recent campaign of retouching to the aforementioned areas of the face, with the addition of some minor cosmetic retouching to the cheek and to the sitter's left collar. Otherwise the painting appears to be in good overall condition. FRAME Held in an ornate carved gilt wood frame with minor losses. To speak to a specialist about this lot please contact Julian Gascoigne on +44 (0)207 293 5482, or at julian.gascoigne@sothebys.com, or Ludo Shaw Stewart on +44 (0)207 293 5816, or at ludovic.shawstewart@sothebys.com.
"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."

The present paintings appears to be a study for the head in Reynolds's portrait of Lord George as a boy, painted in 1770 (see D. Mannings, Sir Joshua Reynolds; A Complete Catalogue of his Paintings, New Haven and London 2000, Text Volume, no. 407, p.143, Plates Volume, illus. pl. 993).

We are grateful to Professor David Mannings and Martin Postle for confirming their thoughts on the basis of photographs.