Portrait of a lady in black dress with fichu bordered white collar, pink ribbon bow tied around neck oil on canvas68 x 57.5cmFramed 87.5 x 77cmThe painting is executed in oil on a linen canvas support which is unlined and has a tax export stamp at the lower edge, dating the canvas from between 1785-1831. An old damage at the lower left has been patched from the reverse and crudely repaired. There is a tear in the canvas at the lower right corner. The varnish layer is dull with no gloss and no longer adequately saturating the paint layers below. There appears to be brushy overpaint around the edges covering wear in the background. There is a layer of surface dirt present.