JAN FRANS VAN BLOEMEN, CALLED L'ORIZZONTE | A classical landscape with the Colosseum and other Roman monuments;A classical landscape with figures resting before a lake, a castle beyond

The following condition report is provided by Henry Gentle who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's:Jan Frans van BloemenA pair of Classical landscapesOils on canvas, in gilt frames.a. 'Suckling child'The original canvas is lined, the lining is approximately 60-80 years old. The lining is in good condition providing good overall tension. There are no tears.The paint layer is generally well preserved; it is raised in some areas but stable and there are stretcher marks and dark shrinkage craquelure visible.Two small damages,measuring approximately 2cm x 2cm, can be detected on the right hand side beneath the pyramid and the mountain in the distance.Under u-v light a scattering of minor restorations can be seen across the sky to replace small losses and also to reduce thinness to some of the darker passages and where reduction of some of the dark cracks, deemed to be too prominent, particularly to areas beneath the reclining man and to the left of the female group.Overall, the painting is in a good condition with fine details extant. Removal of the mildly discoloured varnish will produce a beneficial tonal improvement and enhance the atmospheric perspective, a dominant feature of the composition.b. 'Round tower'This painting is in a very similar condition to the other.Structurally sound , the canvas retains good tension.Under u-v light a restored loss can be seen under the tree to the left, which is not well colour matched, along with further scattered loss across the surface where minor loss has occurred and to reduce the dark ground where it has become more apparent over the passage of time.There is the remains of a old varnish which imparts an opacity to the rocks on the right and to areas of the foreground, its removal will bring back a contrast to these areas and reveal paint and paint texture to be well preserved and colours that retain their vibrancy as well as enhancing the warm golden lighting that was the artist's original intention.
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