Some artists are blessed with beautiful daughters whose service can be called upon to pose for their pictures. Her salmon-pink dress is the chief colour-item.’ ( Art Journal, 1878, pp.176-7) The lover’s fine greyhound, left behind during the colloquy, looks with confident affection at the young lady. The damsel in question blushingly modest and expectant while her suitor is “asking papa” in another room with its door. Uncertainty was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1878 and was described by Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s brother William Michael, as depicting a ‘female figure perfect in sweetness and maidenhood. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS' IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE.' Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report.

'In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Within a 19th Century gilt plaster frame. the surface is covered with a patchy varnish making any reading difficult. There is some fluorescing to the brown in the fur of the dog and it is unclear if this is the pigments used by the artist or later additions. Otherwise, the painting is in good order and ready to hang. There is a small amount of craquelure to the dress and along the right edge of the dog.

No damage is apparent to the canvas and it is not tight, suggesting therefore that it is strip-lined. The canvas has been relined and there is a panel to the reverse of the stretcher which obscures the recto making it difficult to tell if the lining is to the entire canvas or to the edges only.

Arthur Hughes by Leonard Roberts