Frau L. Fünfkirchen (according to a label on the reverse).

The flat, stable support appears to consist of six vertical panels, cradled to the reverse. It is likely that the painting was originally hexagonal, and that the corners of the painting are additions. The paint surface is in good condition, under a yellowed and uneven varnish. The colours and detail of the painting are well-preserved, although the brown tones in the background have become a little thin in parts. The paint appears to be lifting slightly just above the Madonna's head and there are a handful of very small patches of paint loss to her neck, Christ's chest and arm, and St. John the Baptist's neck and shoulder. This and the lifting are visible in the catalogue illustration. Three of the panel joins, and the joins between the hexagon and the corner additions are visible on the surface of the painting due to the unevenness of the surface and the discolouration of the retouchings along these joins. There are eight further restored cracks visible on the surface of the painting, which range from approximately 12 to 25 cm. in length. Inspection under UV light is impeded by the aforementioned old varnish but does confirm the aforementioned retouchings and furthermore reveals some retouching work to Christ's forehead, scattered spot retouchings to his body, to the grass bank to the left of the right hand path, to the Madonna's face, and an oval patch of old retouching work in the upper left of the painting. It is possible that further retouchings are masked by the varnish. Offered in an ornate gilt wood and plaster frame in good condition, with a few minor losses.
"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 Master's eponymous work is his copy after Perugino's Lamentation in Palazzo Pitti in Florence which can still be found in the church of San Bartolo in Tuto, in Scandicci, near Florence. He is thought to have been active in Florence and to have worked in the following of Domenico Ghirlandaio. A full list of his oeuvre was first grouped together by Everett Fahy (see E. Fahy, Some Followers of Domenico Ghirlandajo, New York 1976, pp. 196-97).

The attribution was first proposed by Everett Fahy, who compared this panel to a similar work in the Oberösterreichischen Landesmuseum, Linz.