William John Huggins

STRUCTURE The canvas has been lined. PAINT SURFACE The painting appears to be in good condition with no apparent areas of damage or loss of paint. The canvas appears to have been recently cleaned and the paint appears to be thin in places as can be seen in the rigging and the articulation of the sails. ULTRAVIOLET Examination under ultraviolet light reveals several campaigns of minor cosmetic retouching mostly concentrated in the sky upper left and to abrasion at the canvas edges upper right. There is evidence of old cosmetic scattered retouching throughout the ships i.e. the sails of the Peru. However the picture is in good overall condition. FRAME Held in a carved gilt wood frame. 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."