Portrait of King Charles I (1600-1649), three-quarter-length, in armour, holding a baton, with his right hand on a sphere

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.

Close examination of the painting confirms it to be in a very good state of preservation beneath an aged varnish. The relined canvas maintains a good tension and remains structurally stable. While the texture of the paint is uniform as a consequence of the lining treatment, the integrity of the artist’s painterly technique has been very well preserved, particularly in the modelling and subtleties of gradation of colour. Some minute specks of abrasion are visible in the surface of the sitter’s face and upper left of the canvas. Ultraviolet examination confirms the above and the presence of a thick aged varnish.