A long horizontal tear in the lower right corner transverses the fish, while a smaller area of damage has occurred along the bottom edge at the left. A smooth, thin white ground was applied overall, followed by a brown imprimatura also employed as the background tone. Infrared reflectography reveals a grid layout for the transfer of the precise brush-applied underdrawing in the fish and fruits. Thin, smooth paint layers were applied in a slow, deliberate manner with some strokes blended wet into wet. Leaves painted transparently over the background incorporate the brown layer as a shadow.
Abrasion is minimal, and losses are confined to the edges and tears.
Remnants of a selectively removed aged varnish layer are found over the background, while a fresher semi-matte varnish is present overall. No conservation has been carried out since acquisition.