Thank you for registering for our auction! You are required to provide: 1. Deposit; 保证金待商议; 2. Copy or images of ID card (front and back) or Passport 3. Images of Credit card (front and back).
Description English School, 17th century
Portrait of John Calvin (1509-1564)
inscribed upper left and right: Johanus Calvin.
oil on panel?
57.8 x 44.1 cm.
Condition Report The panel is uncradled, very slightly bowed and stable. The varnish is slightly discoloured. There is a vertical join along the centre which is visible from the front and has associated retouching. There are a few tiny paint losses, notably along the centre of the upper margin, and a larger loss in the lower right corner approx. 1 x 1 cm. There is a vertical join or split which runs the height of the panel approx. 5 cm. in from the right margin which has associated retouching along it. Inspection under ultraviolet light confirms these and further reveals scattered and small cosmetic retouchings, notably in the background.
"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."
Literature Inventory, 1749, in 'Sir Windham's [
sic]?Chamber';
Catalogue of Portraits, 1920,?'Small Panels', p. 24.
Notes The leading Protestant theologian of the second quarter of the 16th century, Calvin was born in France where he trained as a lawyer. He broke with the Catholic Church around 1530 and thereafter was based in Switzerland. After 1541 Geneva became his headquarters until his death some 15 years later. He established new forms of church government and a new liturgy which in due time would become known as Calvinism. With Luther he is credited as being the leading figure in the Reformation. There are few contemporary, or indeed near contemporary, portraits of Calvin. This one is loosely based on an anonymous portrait now in the collection of the Bibliothèque de?Genève,1 painted in 1562, which was later engraved in reverse by René Boyvan (1525-98).2
1 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Portrait_john_calvin.jpg
2 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Calvin_1562.jpg