Portrait of Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665), bust-length, wearing the Order of the Golden Fleece

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.

This relined canvas is held under tension and remains stable. In raking light, there appears to have been a natural thinning of the paint over time in the sitter’s costume in the lower quadrant. Some restoration is visible in the lowlights of the background and along the edges of the canvas. Ultraviolet examination confirms the aforementioned restoration in the background and reveals more extensive restoration to damages along the edges of the left upper and right edges, scattered isolated restoration in the lower right of the sitter’s hair and in the forehead, smaller restorations throughout the face and in areas of the costume in the lower centre.