Follower of Alonso Sanchez Coello

Portrait of a lady standing three quarter length in black, with pearls in her hair and white ruff, castellated buildings beyond in a landscape
oil on panel
82 x 60cm

Condition Report

The painting is executed on a wooden panel which is formed from three boards in vertical alignment and measuring 845 x 613 mm. On the reverse of the panel are three horizontal battens which sit in dovetail grooves in the panel. These are likely to be part of the original construction of the panel, although it is possible they are a later addition. The left hand board has two splits, one which runs almost the entire vertical length of the panel and a second which follows the woodgrain from the upper edge of the panel. There are also pieces of canvas securing joins and old splits on the reverse. Overall, the panel is in a good, stable condition.

The paint layers are in a good condition overall with no evidence of flaking or loss. There are areas of wear and abrasion, notably in the black passages of the sitter’s dress. This has likely occurred due to over cleaning in the past. In some areas, wide drying cracks have formed in the paint layers. Drying cracks form as the paint layer dries, usually when there is a high proportion of medium to pigment. They typically have rounded edges and reveal lower paint or ground layers along the cracks as the paint has contracted. There are areas of overpaint across the surface. In areas this has been liberally applied in a brushy manner, for example across the panel joins. Despite being slight discolouration, the overpaint is acceptable from a normal viewing distance. There are residues of old varnish evident which remain from a previous cleaning. The upper varnish layer is very thick and glossy. There are numerous scuffs and scratches to the surface of the varnish.