ITALIAN SCHOOL, 17TH CENTURY | Still life of skulls

Private Collection, Italy.

The following condition report is provided by Henry Gentle who is an external specialist and not an employee of Sotheby's: Spanish School 17th C Still life of skulls Oil on canvas, in a gilt wood frame The original canvas is lined. The paint layer is stable and secure; under raking light it is slightly raised and small amount of pitted loss is present. The bottom 3cm of the painting is a later restored addition. The paint layer is in a good preserved condition. Under u-v light scattered minor restored loss can be detected through the skulls; overall , the texture, particularly to the highlighted areas, is in a good original state. There is a residue of old varnish to the background giving an opacity to the paint; its removal would allow the background to present a greater contrast to the paleness of the skulls. A filigree of pale shrinkage cracks is in evidence and some of the shadows have been slightly augmented. Generally, in good original condition.
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