Private Collection, Belgium
Purchased from🍌 the above in the 1990s by the present owner

Original canvas. There are no signs of retouching visible under ultraviolet light. Apart from stretcher marks to each side, and scattered pinhead-sized flecks of paint loss, notably along the lower edge, this work is in very good condition, with fine detail and a strong surface. Held in a simple, black-painted wood frame.
"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."

The inscription 11 FEBR in the present work refers to the date of the abdication of the first ruler of the modern state of Romania, the Moldavian Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The country had been formed by the unification of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia (the 'monstrous coalition') in 1859. Cuza's successor was the Austrian Prince Karl von Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. The election of a foreign prince with ties to an important princely house had been one of the liberal aims of the 1848 Revolutionaries.

Ther๊e are two coloured versions of the same subject wi♑th similar dimensions in the Gheorge Tattarescu Memorial Museum and in a private collection, Romania.