25th Jun, 2024 10:00
Old Master, British and European Art
1
Attributed to George Gower (c.1540-1596)
Portrait of a lady, said to be Lady Arabella Stuart, daughter of Charles, 5th Earl of Lennox, half-length, in a richly embroidered and bejewelled dress with a white lace ruff
oil on canvas
64 x 53cm, in an Italian carved giltwood frame
Provenance: The Savile family, Rufford Abbey, Nottingham, their sale, Christie's, 18 November 1938, lot 153 (as by Zuccaro);
Sotheby's, London, 'British Paintings, 1500-1850', 8 November 1995, lot 20.
Exhibited: National Exhibition of Works of Art, Leeds, 1868.
£30,000 - £40,000
Buyer's premium: 30.00% (inclusive of VAT, where applicable)
Condition Report
Overall: 92 x 80cm
The painting is executed in oil on a linen canvas support which has been lined. The canvas is in plane and the tension is good. There are some minor areas of old damage which are visible in the surface texture of the background, mainly at the upper edge but there are no large areas of loss.
The paint layer has slightly softened during the lining process, some areas of textured paint in the pattern of the dress have been affected. In the thin paint passages of the sitter's face and hair there is some wear and abrasion caused by a combination of age and possibly a previous cleaning campaign. The canvas weave is evident on the texture of these areas and show up as regular dark spots. The sitter's hair appears to be reinforced through overpaint. Under ultraviolet light, areas of retouching are present across the painting, but the overpaint is finely handled in small strokes, mainly covering wear and abrasion rather than reconstructing large losses. In the background the overpaint is slightly glossy compared to the surrounding, original paint layers, but overall the retouching is well matched to the original. The varnish is clear, even and semi-matte.
The painting is in a good condition overall, it has suffered some wear and minor damage typical of a work of its age. It appears to have been recently restored; the overpaint is well matched and the overall appearance of the portrait is good.
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Auction: Old Master, British and European Art, 25th Jun, 2024
Viewing
London Viewing | Highlights
A selection of lots will be on view Thursday 6 - Thursday 13 June at our London Gallery, 15 Cecil Court, London WC2N 4EZ, as follows:
Monday-Friday, 11.30am - 5.30pm
For more information, please contact 0203 971 2500 | london@sworder.co.uk
Stansted Viewing | Auction
Viewing will be held at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE, as follows:
Friday 21 June, 10am - 4pm
Sunday 23 June, 10am - 1pm
Monday 24 June, 10am - 4pm
The auction will take place at our Stansted Auction Rooms, Cambridge Road, Stansted Mountfitchet CM24 8GE.
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