WORKSHOP OF FRANCOIS BOUCHER | Putto on a cloud, holding a torch

oil on canvas, an oval

The Barons Foley, Ruxley Lodge, Claygate, Surrey;
By descent to Gerald Henry, 7^th Baron Foley (1898-1927);
By whom sold with the contents of Ruxley Lodge, Castiglione & Scott, 14^th October 1919, lot 5xx (as François Boucher);
Anonymous sale, London, 28 March 1923 (as Boucher);
With Frank T. Sabin, London, 1925 (by whom advertised in 'The Burlington Magazine' in June as Boucher);
Josef Stransky sale, New York, Parke-Bernet, 13 March 1957, lot 65 (as Boucher);
Where acquired by R. Hoyt;
Anonymous sale ("The Property of a Gentleman"), London, Sotheby's, 11 July 1979, lot 102 (as Boucher);
With Christophe Janet, New York;
With Julius Szakaly, North Carolina;
From whom acquired by the late collector in 1987. 

Tokyo, Odayky Grand Gallery, 'Three Masters of French Rococo--Boucher, Fragonard, Lancret,' 9 -21 May 1990 (as François Boucher). 

J. P. Marandel, 'Three Masters of the French Rococo-- Boucher, Fragonard, and Lancret,' exhibition catalogue, Tokyo 1990, p. 168, cat. no. 22, reproduced (as François Boucher).

The canvas has been relined and is flat and stable. The colors are bright and the paint layer is preserved nicely, with thick impasto still evident in the highlights. There is little evidence of inpainting to the naked eye, though under ultra violet light there are some small retouchings in the stomach of the putti and along the lower left edge of the painting, likely from frame abrasion. The soft colors and loose brushwork of the artist remain bright and lively throughout the painting, which can be hung as is. The work is offered in an elaborate giltwood frame.
The lot is sold in the condition it is in at the time of sale. The condition report is provided to assist you with assessing the condition of the lot and is for guidance only. Any reference to condition in the condition report for the lot does not amount to a full description of condition. The images of the lot form part of the condition report for the lot provided by Sotheby's. Certain images of the lot provided online may not accurately reflect the actual condition of the lot. In particular, the online images may represent colours and shades which are different to the lot's actual colour and shades. The condition report for the lot may make reference to particular imperfections of the lot but you should note that the lot may have other faults not expressly referred to in the condition report for the lot or shown in the online images of the lot. The condition report may not refer to all faults, restoration, alteration or adaptation because Sotheby's is not a professional conservator or restorer but rather the condition report is a statement of opinion genuinely held by Sotheby's. For that reason, Sotheby's condition report is not an alternative to taking your own professional advice regarding the condition of the lot.