MATTEO CESA | THE BIRTH AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE TEMPLE; THE DORMITION OF THE VIRGIN MARY

MATTEO CESA
Active in Belluno circa 1425 - after 1491
THE BIRTH AND THE PRESENTATION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE TEMPLE; THE DORMITION OF THE VIRGIN MARY

a pair, each tempera on panel
each: 13¼ by 17⅛ in.; 33.7 by 43.5 cm.
(2)

Renowned Art Dealer Fabrizio Moretti and The Strokes' Fab Moretti Collaborate

Condition Report:
The following condition report has been provided by Karen Thomas of Thomas Art Conservation LLC., 336 West 37th Street, Suite 830, New York, NY 10018, 212-564-4024, info@thomasartconservation.com, an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's.

This well-matched pair of scenes have been restored to a high level, highlighting the crisp contours and linear elements. Not obvious under either normal or ultra-violet light, retouching reinforces the sharpness of the details drawn in with paint, enhances the vibrancy of the palette, and knits together wear along the age-related craquelure. Mild cupping following the craquelure exists in both paintings. In The Dormition of the Virgin a horizontal crack runs originating at the right edge crosses through the heads of six of the saints on the right, and a cluster of tiny old pinpoint losses is located in the far upper right corner. Both horizontally grained boards are in sound condition. The panel for The Dormition of the Virgin is made of a single board with a 1cm-wide strip of wood added to the right edge, onto which the composition has been expanded with restoration. The panel for The Birth and Presentation is comprised of two boards with a horizontal join running across the middle of the painting, and with strips of wood approximately 1cm wide attached around the entire perimeter; the composition has been expanded with restoration on the top addition. On the reverse of The Birth and Presentation, a deep recess for a butterfly insert spanning the join is visible. The varnish is clear and even. Neither scene shows any need of conservation treatment at present.

"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

Provenance:
Chiesa di Santa Maria di Sargnano, Belluno, until 1883-1885;

Volterra collection, Florence;

Charles Fairfax Murray, London;

Raoul Tolentino, Rome;

His sale, New York, American Art Association, 22-26 April 1924, lot 882 and 883 (sold separately as Bartolommeo Vivarini);

Anonymous sale, New York, American Art Association, 26-30 April 1927, lot 939 and 940 (sold separately as Bartolommeo Vivarini);

With Katz Gallery, Dieren, Netherlands, until at least 1959.