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 portrait is in quite good condition. The panel is only very slightly curved from left to right. There is one wooden reinforcement running horizontally across the center. The panel has remained almost completely unbroken, except for a small crack in the upper left and a thin crack running through the right side of the eye on the right, which has not been restored. Under ultraviolet light, one can see retouches in the upper left, a few isolated spots in the background, a couple of spots in the red hat and in the maroon collar, and a dozen or so isolated spots in the white gown.
"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 numerous posthumous portraits of Dante Alighieri and Francesco Petrarca, also known as Petrarch, are testaments to the Florentine poets’ enduring reputation.  Both poets remained popular subjects long after their deaths, particularly among Florentine painters of the sixteenth century.  Among the most famous examples of their likenesses can be found in Giorgio Vasari’s group portrait of Six Tuscan Poets now in the Minneapolis Institute of Art (inv. no. 71.24) and Agnolo Bronzino’s allegorical portraits of Dante, Petrarch, and Bocaccio that he painted for his beloved friend Bartolomeo Bettini.  A variant of the allegorical portrait of Dante formerly given to Bronzino is in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.¹

1.  Inv. no. 1961.9.57, oil on panel, 127 by 120 cm.  See M. Brock, Bronzino, Paris 2002, p. 164, reproduced