Bernard Lorjou, French 1908-1986- Arbre en hiver, 1956; oil on canvas, signed lower centre, 98.5x80cm (ARR) Provenance: Private Collection, London Note: Junko Shibanuma has confirmed the authenticity of the piece. According to Shibanuma this was created when Lorjou settled in St. Denis-sur-Loire near Blois where he was born. This particular painting is from a series on trees from the Loire. Please refer to department for condition report In a wooden gilded frame, there are several scuff marks and the frame is cracked in places. Most noticeably the side of the frame is missing. There is a section on the lower left, approx 4x6cm where the paint has flaked off. On the right hand corner there is a section where the paint has flaked over. And in other areas there are minor areas with paint flaking. Over the surface a lot of craqueleur, in areas the cracks are more noticeable than others. There appears to be a chemical reaction in the paint which reveals under the top layer the white pigment, we are unsure if this is a condition issue or the artist's effect Overall the piece is in poor condition.