Posted By:
Joseph JesselliWhoa! Shill bidding at Sotheby's? What a shocker! Anyway, that's another topic....
What concerns me most is the sepia tone of the picture in the catalog (i.e. web site). It wouldn't be at all unusual for a panoramic photograph from this period to be so hued, but your pictures of the actual piece show that it is not. In fact, most of the photos in and around this lot appear sepia-toned (does anyone know if this in the case in the print catalog?). It's not too much of a stretch to conspiratorially conclude that this "Photoshop" method is employed to mask problems.
Still, it's a fabulous piece. You should try to negotiate the price down and if they're unwilling then ask for a refund. Good luck.