NORTH ITALIAN SCHOOL, EARLY 17TH CENTURY | Portrait of a king, possibly King David

Archduke Rainer Joseph of Austria, Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia (1783–1853);
By descent to the present owner.

The canvas is lined, the paint surface is dirty, and the varnish is discoloured. There are a handful of surface scuffs and scratches, most notably a diagonal scratch with associated paint loss approx. 2.5 cm. long across the figure’s moustache, and a faint, old knock in the lower left rim of his crown. Retouching is visible along what appear to be 3 old tears: one diagonal, approx. 10 cm. to the left of his head, one horizontal, approx. 15 cm. to the right of his head, and another horizontal, approx. 22 cm. starting in the left edge and finishing in his beard. There is a repaired damage, approx. 1 x 2 cm. just above his proper left shoulder, and a spot of discoloured retouching 1.5 x 1 cm. in his forehead - this fluoresces lightly under ultraviolet light, which reveals a very thick varnish, underneath which the aforementioned, older retouchings are just visible, as well as further spot retouchings scattered in his face and the background.
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