About this lot
Description
English Provincial School, mid-18th century
Portrait of a lady, thought to be a member of the Eyre family of Chesterfield, Derbyshire, in a blue dress
oil on canvas, unlined, in a fine, carved and giltwood period frame
75 x 62cm
Provenance:
Acquired directly from the Eyre family, Derbyshire,
Collection of Mike Handford, 'Hillsleigh', Burford, Oxfordshire
Framed 95 x 81.5cm
The painting is executed in oil on a linen canvas support which is unlined. The canvas has come loose from the stretcher along the upper edge causing a lack of tension and undulations across the surface. There are a few small tears and punctures to the canvas and undulations caused by impact. The paint layer is actively raised and flaking in the background with scattered losses. Age cracks in the passages of flesh paint have become dark, possibly due to imbibing old varnish and dirt. The varnish has yellowed with age and is no longer adequately saturating the paint layers below.
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