The panel, which has dropped in the frame to leave a gap at the top, comprises pieces of wood; three roughly equal sized boards, the outer two chamfered top and bottom, with a later 1.5inch batten along the bottom edge and a 3 inch piece of wood at the top possibly a later addition. Both the top and bottom pieces of wood have a square insert/peg, with the one on the top protruding through cracked paint at the face. Evidence of old instability and splitting. All joins likely to have been opened and reglued, and there is a split running 1/4 of the width of the panel from the left edge when looking from the reverse, repaired with a canvas strip but slightly open at the end and likely mobile. Seven old fixed battens at the reverse, both with and across the grain, with the panel thinned in places to accommodate them (see image). No other splits noticable with panel in frame. The plane of the panel is distorted and undulates with the splits/joins (see images). From the face, the top join is filled and retouched but has opened slightly across the whole length with tiny pinpoint losses to the restoration. The second join has been opened 2/3rds of the ledge, filled and retouched and now slightly open. Bottom join has been filled and retouched across whole length with some minor cracking to the filling. The split has cracked through the restoration, and appears raised but stable.

The narrow board at the top has some larger scale stable cracking to paint and ground, but the rest of the painting largely has minor cracking associated with the panel grain - some slighly opened through cleaning in the past but all stable and not elevated. Minor losses to joins likely, now covered in filling and retouching. Scattered minor losses from past flaking, all stable. There are likely successive campaigns of restoration, with more extensive overpainting in the sky and foliage in the tres, as well as to joins/split and the scattered losses. There has been abrasion to the sky, and to the trees/landscape as well as the more delicate glazes of the birds - for example see image of bird's head. Large patches of reinforcing and thin overpaint to the ground, for example the reddish patch below the hen on the right. The bottom batten has a thick line of overpaint across the width of the painting. There is less retouching on the birds themselves. Most of the retouching/overpaint is under a thick old varnish layer, with remnants of a thick yellowed varnish left on which gives the painting a mottled appearance and is slightly shiny in reflected light. A light layer of dust and debris.

Not examined in UV. Examined in frame.

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Regarding Pictures, Prints and Works on Paper, works are not examined out of the frame, unless specifically stated. Tennants Auctioneers do not cover damage to gilded wood or plaster picture frames, or to picture frame glass whilst the item is in our possession.

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