Lot 587: LOUIS DE SILVESTRE | Portrait of a lady, believed to be Anna Constanze, Countess of Cosel (1680 – 1765), three-quarter length, dressed in green and pink silks and playing a lute

oil on canvas

157 by 120.2 cm.; 61 3/4  by 47 3/8  in.

oil on canvas

The canvas has been relined. There are many discoloured retouchings throughout the throughout, particularly in the background, in the centre of the sitter's face, in her decollté and in her forearm, to a lesser extent I her dress and in the lute. There is a 10 cm. horizontal scratch lower right and an area of worn paint surface in the lower left corner. Inspection under ultraviolet light shows retouching along the lower edge, and in all the areas mentioned above. This lot is offered in a guilt frame with decorative mouldings, with only some very small surface scratches and minor widening of the corner joins. For all sales which take place on or after 1 February 2015, please note that the rate of buyer's premium for each lot (charged as a percentage of the hammer price achieved for that lot) has been revised and shall be calculated at the thresholds set out below: Buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price up to and including £100,000; Buyer's premium is 20% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £100, 000 up to and including £1,800,000; Buyer's premium is 12% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £1,800,000. As stated above, the revised thresholds are effective as of 1 February 2015.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

By tradition acquired directly from the Royal House of Saxony;
With Kunsthandlung P. Rusch, Dresden;
Acquired from the above by Kommerzienrat Georg Hirsch in 1926;
Rittergot Kospoda, Thuringia;
Villa Bauer, Gera, from 1926;
Schloss Dornburg an der Elbe;
Seized in 1952;
Restituted to the rightful heirs in 2014.