NORTH ITALIAN SCHOOL, 15TH CENTURY | The Risen Christ

The following condition report is provided by Rebecca Gregg who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: The panel support appears stable, the horizontal boards have two large vertical secondary support structures attached to the reverse. These do not appear to allow any movement of the panel and to have replaced an earlier construction. The original panel joins appear to have opened and re-joined during the painting's history. There is some evidence that the panel has been thinned, exposing historic woodworm. There are two horizontal infills of wood in the upper left quadrant. The paint layers appear stable, there has been historic flaking and loss to both the paint and ground layers. It is evident that a recent campaign of consolidation has occurred. There are differences in the level of matt and shine across some losses, predominantly in the upper left and lower right quadrants. This is simply a result of insufficient clearing of the adhesive used and not significant to the condition of the paint surfaces. The original paint is thinly applied and there are some areas of abrasion to the upper layers exposing the ground, however this is not visually disturbing. There are also what appears to be multiple campaigns of filling visible. Some of which retain remnants of a previous retouching campaign, the dark remnants of historic over-paint have been partially removed. There is a campaign of more recent restoration, the losses across Christ’s left wrist and the lower part of his right hand have been toned to minimise disruption. There is a large loss to the pinkish ground layers across the upper quadrant of the composition. The more recent retouching campaign has reintegrated the loss which extends from the top of Christ’s head, through the left temple into His eye. There is another area of retouching through the beard and chin. The darker area to the left cheek is an older over-paint. The removal of the remnants of the historic restoration campaign and the adhesive residues remaining from the consolidation would even the appearance of the surface and minimise any resulting visual disturbance. There does not appear to be any significant varnish or surface coating layers.
"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."