Acquired by the present owner in the late 1970s.

The canvas is lined, the paint surface is clean and the varnish is clear and even. No damages are visible to the naked eye. Inspection under ultraviolet light reveals a milky varnish underneath which some retouchings are visible, most notably in the bridge centre right, the trees and ground beneath them middle centre, in the plinth and the ground below it, and in the foreground along the centre of the lower edge. Further retouchings appear to reduce the appearance of craquelure, for example in the trees to the left of the bridge, and in the sky above the town. In overall very good condition. Offered in a George II Kentian gilt wood frame with elaborate carved scallop shell motif in very good condition.
"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."

It has never been verified that Wootton visited Italy, although in 1900 Walter Gilbey wrote that the 3rd Duke of Beaufort 'generously sent him at his own expense to study at Rome.'¹ No other evidence has been found to corroborate this statement. The classical nature of the present work is much more likely due to Wootton's study of seventeenth-century Roman paintings, particularly those of Gaspard Dughet and Claude Lorrain, of which there were a significant number in English collections. George Vertue recorded in his Notebooks that in the early 1720s Wootton had 'bravely distinguished himself in his late paintings of Landschape. very much like the pictures of Gaspar Poussin. both as to Invention design & Colouring [sic.]' and that he had 'perfectly enterd into his Manner [sic.].'² Wootton's paintings of this Gaspardesque type are invariably unsigned and undated, making it difficult to form a chronology. The present composition must date between Vertue's remark of 1721/22 and the late 1730s, after which time the English taste for Claude prevailed and Wootton accordingly adapted his style. 1. W. Gilbey, Animal painters of England from the year 1650, London 1900, vol. II, p. 262.
2. G. Vertue, Notebooks. Vol. I, in The Walpole Society, vol. XVIII, London 1930, p. 101.