Portrait of Julius Caesar; and Portrait of Otho

The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

These relined canvases retain a good tension on their stretcher; on the painting of Caesar there are slight undulations visible on the right side, but the canvas remains structurally stable. Despite the natural ageing of the paint layer, the integrity of the artist’s painterly technique is immediately apparent and the wealth of colour and detail appear largely intact on both paintings. There is a slightly uneven surface to both paintings but they remain fundamentally sound.

Caesar:
Close examination reveals some discoloured retouchings, predominantly in the background. Ultra-violet fluorescence examination confirms the presence of scattered retouchings and some repaired damages and associated retouchings in the background, including a five inch diagonal repair to background in upper right. Underneath the layer of thin varnish there appears to be areas of scattered retouchings to the darker tones of the figure and background.

Otho:
Ultra-violet fluorescence examination confirms two layers of isolated, scattered retouching throughout, including areas of strengthening to the darker tones and a few repaired patches, such as to left of his Adam’s apple.