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 painting is more or less unrestored, although it may have been varnished in the last 25 years. There is a loose board backing to the canvas. The canvas has been lined and the paint layer is stable, although it still shows some "cupping" and cracking. The restorations that have been added are ineffectual and cannot be characterized as complete in any way. The quality and period of the picture are quite unusual and the condition looks worse than it is. This is a picture that would respond very well if lined properly and retouched accurately.
"This lot is offered for sale subject to Sotheby's Conditions of Business, which are available on request and printed in Sotheby's sale catalogues. The independent reports contained in this document are provided for prospective bidders' information only and without warranty by Sotheby's or the Seller."

This fantastical architectural capriccio appears very close to the idiosyncratic artist François de Nomé.  One of two artists who worked under the pseudonym Monsù Desiderio - the other being Didier Barra - Nomé's work is characterized by its visionary, almost dream-like qualities and was even sited as a source of inspiration by the Surrealists in the twentieth century.  Although born in Metz, the artist left for Rome at an early age and spent most of his career in Naples, where he is recorded as early as 1610. The composition of the picture coupled with the manner in which the architecture has been pushed fully into the foreground do reflect the style of slightly later Neapolitan capriccio painters, such as Viviano Codazzi. François de Nomé was known to work with collaborators who added the staffage to his landscapes, views and fantasies, and the handling of Christ and the other foreground figures does suggest a collaborative effort in this large scale canvas.