The following condition report has been provided by Simon Parkes of Simon Parkes Art Conservation, Inc. 502 East 74th St. New York, NY 212-734-3920, simonparkes@msn.com , an independent restorer who is not an employee of Sotheby's. This decorative panel is quite dirty. The condition of the pieces themselves is not very good and a partial cleaning is more likely to be beneficial than a full cleaning. These panels seem to have been transferred from wood to canvas. They now are on canvas and presumably some instability had developed over time which encouraged a previous restorer to transfer the panels. There is a large vertical restoration in the dress of the larger saint and a good deal of old restoration has most likely been applied in many other areas of both panels. With this in mind, a defensive approach to restoration is recommended.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This painting would appear to be by an artist in the circle of Andrea Sabatini da Salerno, working around Naples in the very early years of the 16th Century.  It must have formed the left hand part of a polyptych, most likely with a throned Madonna and Child as the central panel (for other examples by Sabatini and his school, see P. Guisti and P. Leone de Castris, Pittura del Cinquecento a Napoli: 1510-1540 forastieri e regnicoli, Naples 1988, p. 94, figs. 84-85).  An old 19th Century shipping label on the reverse of the painting, in fact, notes that the painting had at one point come from Salerno.