Dear Brendan Phillips,

Thank you for your appraisal submission. Based on the photographs provided, the work appears to be an oil painting on canvas. It measures 1.172 x 0.9626 meters in frame, and has significant conditions to note. The work includes significant delamination throughout, a large dimple to the top left edge, cracking and impact crackles throughout, inpainting to the sleeve, and abrasions to the margins. The work is likely relined. It depicts Sibylla Samia, an oracle of Apollo who was one of the few to have foretold the birth of Jesus Christ to a virgin mother. This work is likely one of the many reproductions of the original by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, therefore it is only attributable as After Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (Italian, 1591 - 1666).

Sibylla Samia was popularly depicted in Italian art, and starting in the 15th century, books and scrolls became a common attribute of her identity in connection to the Sibylline prophecies. From the late 1640s through the early 1650s, Barbieri painted numerous compositions of Sybilla Samia, and copies of his works proliferated from then on.

To estimate the Fair Market Value of this work, we considered the market records of the other Sybilla Samia reproductions, condition, and size. Similar reproductions have been sold as recently as 2023, however the hammer price has decreased in the last few years. Other factors such as size, condition, and quality may affect these prices. Based on the considerations, we estimate the Fair Market Value of this work between €500 and €1,000.

This appraisal is conditional based on age and attribution. The condition report was based purely on the images provided, and a closer examination of the work may result in a more specific age evaluation. Similarly, authentication research beyond the scope of this report may also support attribution.

Thank you for your appraisal submission. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Kind regards,
Charlotte B.