A white setter in a landscape by a gateway

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 REPORT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY HAMISH DEWAR, HAMISH DEWAR LTD

Structural Condition

The canvas has been lined and this has successfully secured the overall pattern of faint craquelure, as well as some small areas of apparent paint loss which have been filled and retouched in the past. The structural condition is now sound and secure and no more structural intervention is required.

Paint Surface

The paint surface has a discoloured and rather uneven varnish layer, particularly over areas of retouching where the varnish has become matt, and the retouchings are therefore visible in a raking light.

Cleaning should significantly improve the overall appearance and the small retouchings that are visible in natural light could be removed and where necessary replaced so as to only be visible under ultra-violet light.

Inspection under ultra-violet light shows a number of retouchings in the sky in the upper left of the composition, small areas and thin lines in the wall in the upper right, and a few small dots and lines in the foreground. There are only very minimal retouchings on the dog which appears to be very well preserved.

Summary

The painting would therefore appear to be in good and stable condition and should respond very well to cleaning, restoration and revarnishing and I would hope that with more careful inpainting the amount of retouching could be considerably reduced.