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Aurora
Maker
(artist)
1591-1666
1591-1666
Title
Aurora
Date of Production
(circa) 1620
Medium
chalk (red) with stumping on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 24.8 cm
Width: 27.1 cm
Width: 27.1 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.1328
Mode of Acquisition
Robert Clermont Witt, bequest, 1952
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Label Text
This study of the winged figure of Aurora, the Roman goddess of dawn, in her chariot is one of the earliest and finest of a group of drawings which Guercino made in preparation for his famous ceiling decoration in the Casino Ludovisi in Rome. His handling of red chalk is especially subtle — a mixture of firm and sketchy lines, and dense hatching, the soft tones on parts of the face and shoulder created by rubbing with either a finger or a stump (a stick of tightly rolled paper).
Provenance
by descent to the artist's nephews, Benedetto Gennari (1633-1715) and Cesare Gennari (1637-1688), 1666; by descent to Cesare’s sons, Gianfrancesco Gennari (1671-1727) and Filippo Antonio Gennari (1677-1751), 1719; by descent to Gianfrancesco's son, Carlo Gennari (1716-1790); presumably Francesco Forni, Bologna (18th century) or Abbé Bonducci, Florence (18th century); presumably acquired from either of those by John Bouverie, England (ca. 1722/1723-1750), 1741 or 1745; by descent to his sister, Anne Hervey (d. 1757); by descent to her son, Christopher Hervey (d. 1786); by descent to his aunt, Elizabeth Bouverie (d. 1798); by descent to Sir Charles Middleton, later 1st Baron Barham (1726-1813); by descent to his son-in-law, Sir Gerard Noel, 2nd Baron Barham (1759-1838); by descent to his son, Charles Noel, later 1st Earl of Gainsborough (1781-1866); by descent to Charles Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough (1850-1926); his sale, Christie's (London), 27 July 1922, part of lot 81 (a box containing 68 drawings by Guercino and others); purchased there by F.R. Meatyard (London) on behalf of Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952) (£90 for the lot); Witt Bequest 1952
Exhibition History
Guercino and the Ludovisi Age in Rome. The Triumph of Painting, Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, 30/10/2024-26/01/2025
Narrative Folds (Pop-up exhibition), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/2013-01/06/2013
Guercino - Mind to Paper, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-13/05/2007 ...More
Guercino - Mind to Paper, J Paul Getty Museum & Los Angeles & California & USA, 24/10/2006-21/01/2007
About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque Masters, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/02/1977-01/03/1977
Italian Drawings of the 17th and 18th Centuries from the Witt
Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/03/1971-01/04/1971
Italian Old Master drawings. Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, The National Art Gallery of New Zealand, Wellington, 1970
Il Guercino - Catalogo critico dei disegni, Bologna, 01/09/1968-18/11/1968
Master Drawings of the 17th century from the Witt Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Festival Exhibitions, Adelaide, 1968
unnumbered typescript - title was possibly 'A Selection of Drawings from The Witt/Courtauld Collections [as exhibited in 1964 at University of Sussex, Falmer]', Nottingham University, 1966
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 01/09/1960-01/10/1960
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59
Artists in 17th Century Rome, Wildenstein, London, 01/06/1955-16/07/1955
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
Old Masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 01/01/1943-01/05/1943
Exhibition of Drawings of the Bolognese School, Walter Gernsheim, London, 10/05/1937-10/06/1937 ...Less
Narrative Folds (Pop-up exhibition), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/06/2013-01/06/2013
Guercino - Mind to Paper, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-13/05/2007 ...More
Guercino - Mind to Paper, J Paul Getty Museum & Los Angeles & California & USA, 24/10/2006-21/01/2007
About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque Masters, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/02/1977-01/03/1977
Italian Drawings of the 17th and 18th Centuries from the Witt
Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 01/03/1971-01/04/1971
Italian Old Master drawings. Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, The National Art Gallery of New Zealand, Wellington, 1970
Il Guercino - Catalogo critico dei disegni, Bologna, 01/09/1968-18/11/1968
Master Drawings of the 17th century from the Witt Collection, Art Gallery of South Australia, Festival Exhibitions, Adelaide, 1968
unnumbered typescript - title was possibly 'A Selection of Drawings from The Witt/Courtauld Collections [as exhibited in 1964 at University of Sussex, Falmer]', Nottingham University, 1966
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 01/09/1960-01/10/1960
Drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1958-59
Artists in 17th Century Rome, Wildenstein, London, 01/06/1955-16/07/1955
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
Old Masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 01/01/1943-01/05/1943
Exhibition of Drawings of the Bolognese School, Walter Gernsheim, London, 10/05/1937-10/06/1937 ...Less
Literature
Guercino. L'era Ludovisi a Roma. Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome, 2024.
cat. no. 32
pp. 152-153
ill. on p. 153
Guercino: Mind to paper, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Courtauld Gallery, London, 2006-2007 Los Angeles, 2006
no. 3
ill. on p. 24
Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
no. 33 and pp. 12, 31 note 92, 32 note 108, 33, 60, 63-64, 65, 88, 301, 304
pl. 5 ...More
Guercino: Drawings from Windsor Castle, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1991
p. 50 under no. 15
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri: Il Guercino, 1591-1666, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1991
p. 404
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
cat. no. 33
Salerno, Luigi, I dipinti del Guercino, Rome, Ugo Bozzi Editore, 1988
pp. 164-66
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 148
ill. on p. 149
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 45
ill. on p. 55 and Plate III
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
p. 16
Italian old master drawings: Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, National Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, 1973
cat. no. 31
pp. 7, 19
Roli, Renato, G.F. Barbieri: Guercino, Milan, Aldo Martello Editore, 1972
p. 23
pl. 26
Italian drawings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1971
p. 3
Il Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, 1591-1666): Catalogo critico dei disegni, Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, Bologna, 1968, 1969
cat. no. 78
pp. 19 note 40, 87, 89-90
pl. 78
I disegni del Guercino della collezione Mahon, Pinacoteca Communale, Cento, 1967
p. 33
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 1960
cat. no. 34
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 14
Artists in 17th-century Rome, to save Gosfield Hall for the nation as a residential nursing home with hospital wards for the elderly sick and infirm of limited means, Gosfield Hall, Gosfield, Essex, 1955, Wildenstein & Co.
cat. no. 44
p. 54
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 128
Drawings of the old masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1943
p. 24
Ragghianti, Carlo Ludovico, 'Notizie e Letture' in 'La Critica d'Arte', 1938; 3
p. XXII
ill. on p. XXI
Exhibition of drawings of the Bolognese School, W. Gernsheim, London, 1937
no. 32 ...Less
cat. no. 32
pp. 152-153
ill. on p. 153
Guercino: Mind to paper, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Courtauld Gallery, London, 2006-2007 Los Angeles, 2006
no. 3
ill. on p. 24
Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
no. 33 and pp. 12, 31 note 92, 32 note 108, 33, 60, 63-64, 65, 88, 301, 304
pl. 5 ...More
Guercino: Drawings from Windsor Castle, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1991
p. 50 under no. 15
Giovanni Francesco Barbieri: Il Guercino, 1591-1666, Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt; Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna; National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1991
p. 404
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
cat. no. 33
Salerno, Luigi, I dipinti del Guercino, Rome, Ugo Bozzi Editore, 1988
pp. 164-66
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 148
ill. on p. 149
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 45
ill. on p. 55 and Plate III
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
p. 16
Italian old master drawings: Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, National Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, 1973
cat. no. 31
pp. 7, 19
Roli, Renato, G.F. Barbieri: Guercino, Milan, Aldo Martello Editore, 1972
p. 23
pl. 26
Italian drawings of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1971
p. 3
Il Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, 1591-1666): Catalogo critico dei disegni, Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, Bologna, 1968, 1969
cat. no. 78
pp. 19 note 40, 87, 89-90
pl. 78
I disegni del Guercino della collezione Mahon, Pinacoteca Communale, Cento, 1967
p. 33
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 1960
cat. no. 34
Drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1958 - 1959
cat. no. 14
Artists in 17th-century Rome, to save Gosfield Hall for the nation as a residential nursing home with hospital wards for the elderly sick and infirm of limited means, Gosfield Hall, Gosfield, Essex, 1955, Wildenstein & Co.
cat. no. 44
p. 54
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 128
Drawings of the old masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1943
p. 24
Ragghianti, Carlo Ludovico, 'Notizie e Letture' in 'La Critica d'Arte', 1938; 3
p. XXII
ill. on p. XXI
Exhibition of drawings of the Bolognese School, W. Gernsheim, London, 1937
no. 32 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: none.
Inscription: 48
Inscription: 48
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