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OLD MASTER INK AND WASH WATERCOLOR NEO-CLASSICAL FRIEZE FRAGMENT DEPICTING 5 FIGURES BY CIRCLE OF OR ORIGINAL BY GIOVANNI BATTISTA CIPRIANI ITALIAN (1725-1785) "A THING OF BEAUTY IS A JOY FOREVER." JOHN KEATS ARTWORK: THIS IS AN ORIGINAL INK AND WASH WATERCOLOR EXECUTE D ON PAPER BY THE CIRCLE OF GIOVANNI BATTISTA CIPRIANI OR ACTUALLY BY CIPRIANI. I AM NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE IF IT WAS ACTUALLY BY CIPRIANI OR ONE OF HIS FOLLOWERS AS THE ARTWORK IS NOT SIGNED. THE AGE APPEARS TO BE 18TH CENTURY. THE GALLERY PROVENANCE FOR THIS WORK IS ELLIOTT GALLERIES IN NEW YORK. THE FORMER OWNER, ELLIOTT BLOOM BELIEVED THIS WAS AN ORIGINAL BY CIPRIANI AFTER BARTOLLOZI AND CONSEQUENTLY LISTED THIS ARTWORK AS AN ORIGINAL BY CIPRIANI IN HIS GALLERY. THE AUCTION HOUSE THAT SOLD THIS ARTWORK SUBSEQUENTLY REMOVED THE ELLIOTT GALLERIES STICKERS FOR REASONS UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, THAT IS THE PROVENANCE, NEVERTHELESS. CONDITION: THE DIMENSIONS OF THE ARTWORK ARE 4 1/8 X 8 3/4 INCHES. THE ARTWORK FRAMED MEASURES 10 1/2 X 15 INCHES. THE FRAME IS AN ANTIQUE WOOD AND GOLD LEAF FRAME. THE INTERIOR LINING OF THE FRAME APPEARS TO BE SILK. THE SILK IS IN GOOD CONDITION BUT THERE ARE MINOR RIPPLES IN THE SILK THAT COULD BE SMOOTHED OUT BY REMOVING FROM THE FRAME AND TIGHTENING UP THE EDGES OF THE CLOTH. THERE IS AN OLD ORIGINAL GALLERY NOTE ON THE VERSO WHICH IS HARD TO DECIPHER YET MENTIONS CIPRIANI AND BARTOLLOZI. THE WATERCOLOR IS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. THERE ARE SOME VERY SMALL TRACES OF FOXING INDICATIVE OF ITS AGE AND THE RIGHT MARGIN HAS BEEN TORN IN A STRAIGHT LINE. THIS IS BECAUSE THIS MAY BE A FRAGMENT OF A LARGER WORK OR THAT THE RIGHT MARGIN WAS TRIMMED. PROVENANCE: THIS FINE ARTWORK CAME DIRECTLY FROM AN ESTATE AUCTION WHICH HAD SOME INVENTORY FROM ELLIOTT GALLERIES IN MANHATTAN, NEW YORK, USA. TERMS: A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY HAND SIGNED BY LAURENT ASHTON ON ARCHIVAL LAID PAPER WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THIS SALE. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO DO BUSINESS WITH YOU. REGARDS, LAURENT ASHTON