LOT DETAILS

Materials:

oil on canvas

Measurements:

Edition:

Cornelius Johnson was born in London, where his family had fled from Cologne and Antwerp to escape religious persecution. He was one of the most popular English portraitists of his time, and became court painter to James I and Charles I. In 1643 he moved back to Holland, where the present work was painted in 1655 - his work at this time in his career had considerably evolved, and bears more resemblance to Dutch portraiture.

Markings:

signed and dated centre right: Cornelius Johnson. / Van Ceulen / fecit / 1657

Condition:

The canvas is lined, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear and even. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a concentrated band of retouching approx. 2 cm. from the left margin running vertically from the centre down to the lower left corner. A network of very fine lines of retouching is apparent throughout the sitter's face, chest and parts of her dress to disguise the appearance of craquelure. There are also small areas of retouching in the lower right corner. There appears to be some older restoration around all four margins and possibly on the sitter's sleeve but these are difficult to discern. The painting is in overall fairly good condition and ready to hang in its current state. 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.