Joseph-Jean Baptiste de Mareschal-Vezet, Président à Mortier of the Parliament of Franche-Comté, by 1785;
Du Mont-Bernachon, of Artois, whose coat-of-arms appear on a (19th-century?) seal on the reverse;
Le Marquis de Cumont, acquired at a sale at the Hôtel Drouot, Paris, between 1925 and 1930;
Collection Arlot de Cumont;
Anonymous sale, Monaco, Christie's, December 2, 1989, lot 25 (as attributed to Giovanni Andrea Sirani)

The canvas has a glue relining and the paint surface is well preserved with a thick impasto. There is a central horizontal canvas seam which, though visible to the naked eye, does not detract from the image. Inspection under UV reveals a diagonal repaired tear above and through Salome's right sleeve (approx. 11 in.) and two possible small repaired punctures in the bustier, below the jewel. There is retouching and inpainting of the craquelure on the face and neck and scattered retouching though the paint surface is otherwise in good condition for a painting of this size. The painting is presentable in its present state and the restoration has been sensitively applied. The painting is offered unframed.
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.

The composition of this canvas ultimately derives from a painting by Guido Reni now in the Art Institute of Chicago.¹ In Reni's original the figures are shown in reverse, so that Salome grips the Baptist's head in her left hand and is flanked by three female spectators.  A painting in the Ringling Museum, Sarasota, however, is in the same direction as the present work and also includes only the two principal characters.²  That work was considered to be by Giovanni Andrea Sirani; an attribution also formerly associated with the present version (see under Provenanceabove).

 

1.  See D.S. Pepper, Guido Reni, A Complete Catalogue of His Works with an Introductory Text, New York 1984, p. 286, cat. no. 186.
2.  See P. Tomory, Catalogue of the Italian Paintings before 1800, The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota 1976, p. 127, cat. no. 132 (as by Sirani);  D.S. Pepper, Op.cit,&n🎶bsp;p. 286, under cat. 186, refers to it as a Reni studio composition.