Off Duty

“Off Duty,” is a part of Millet’s colonial genre paintings, which among others includes “Between Two Fires,” “The Black Sheep,” “The Proposal” and “Unconverted”

The painting is signed ‘F.D. Millet’ (lower right), identified on a fragmentary handwritten label (affixed to the stretcher)

The fragmentary label on the stretcher bears a partial title Off…. The Frick Art Reference Library Digital Archive contains an image of the painting, allowing us to confirm the title as Off Duty. The archive lists the work as belonging to the collection of William R. Hearst. The Frick Art Reference Library digital id number for this work is 3 1071 00194975.
Condition
The canvas is Wax lined onto a rigid surface. The craquelure throughout is stable. Varnish inconsistencies lie near the lower left of the spinning wheel and possibly on the male figure’s tunic. Under black light examination, retouch is evident near the corners, along the edges, above the male figure’s head, and in an area above the right window where there may have been an abrasion. The arm of the bench and the female figure’s arm may have been repositioned as evident under black light examination. There are small paint losses near upper right and near the upper edge. There are small dots of accretion in the area of the table and spinning wheel.

Stamp on the frame backing cardboard from conservator Gustav D. Klimann states that the painting was lined using the thermo-pneumatic lining process in January 1977.

There are two old unattributed auction labels on the back of the frame, one listing the consignor as ‘S. Friedenberg’ and the lot number as ’33.’