About this lot

Description

Portrait of a Lady standing three-quarter length, in black, her hands clasped before her inscribed to the reverse '1575 Anne de Bretagne / femme de Charles VIII / et de Louis XII' oil on panel 34 x 27.5cm

Footnote: Provenance: French Private Collection; With Philip Mould Ltd, London, August 2008, Private collection, Kensington, London According to an old label on the reverse of the panel, the sitter is Anne of Brittany, wife of King Charles VIII and Louis XII which, from a date perspective, she cannot possibly be. The sitter, from her demeanour and dress, is of high status, especially as she wears black which was at that time the most expensive dye to achieve in material. The painter, who is evidently aware of the French court portraitist François Clouet, could, however, be from Flanders.

Condition report: Oil on an oak panel formed from a single board with small fillets attached with glue to each side. There is a small split in the upper left corner with associated paint loss. There is also a line of movement with raised paint to the left of the sitter’s face. The paint layer has a network of age cracks following the vertical woodgrain of the panel. In the lighter paint passages the age cracks appear dark. There are a few small dents to the panel and paint layer caused by impact. The paint layer is in a good, stable condition overall. There are localised areas of retouching which are fairly well matched to the original, mainly covering small damages and scuffs. The varnish is even and semi-glossy with a light layer of dirt. The frame is in a good condition with a few losses to the decorative surface, it has probably been intentionally distressed to appear older than it is.

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