Condition of the Artwork Before Restoration

The canvas is stretched on a rectangular stretcher frame with a profiled edge, tightened with eight wedges. Despite this, the canvas sags, and stretcher bar marks are visible. These marks disrupt the painting’s appearance and layer cohesion. The edges and corners show significant warping, which is obvious under strong side lighting.

We can see that the canvas was previously restretched, possibly on the original stretcher, but it was done incorrectly. The paint on the left and right sides doesn’t extend over the stretcher’s edges, while it does at the bottom. At the top edge, there’s a half-centimeter unpainted strip, matching the paint overlap at the bottom. This might indicate an artist’s adjustment for framing.

The paint and ground layers are missing in several large areas. Around these spots, the paint is loose, raised, or cracked, with a high risk of further flaking. This is most noticeable in the upper left background, the upper left part of the face, and along an imaginary line leading down to the hands holding the book. The back of the canvas shows traces of liquid damage, which caused the layers to separate.

The painting is covered with a thin layer of surface dirt, and the varnish is slightly degraded and yellowed. Dirt is especially noticeable on the back.

The canvas is secured to the stretcher with nails spaced excessively far apart, which contributes to deformation and uneven tensioning of the canvas. The stretcher frame exhibits minor mechanical damage, surface dirt, adhesive tape residues, and pencil and chalk markings, possibly indicating a former price or inventory number. The lower stretcher bar is narrower than the other three.