Saint Petronilla, a legendary first-century martyr, died from her dedication to prayer and fasting. In this scene her prostrate corpse is attended by a female mourner and despairing suitor Flaccus. The diagonal thrust of the figures and the saint’s foreshortened body show Guercino experimenting with depth of space. This study is one of many sequences of large-scale drawings made for an altarpiece in Saint Peter’s Basilica, Rome – the most important commission of his early career.

One of a number of studies made for an altarpiece commissioned by Pope Gregory XV for Saint Peter's Basilica in December 1621. The altarpiece was delivered in 1623 and remained in situ until 1730, when it was moved to the Pinacoteca Capitolina.

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), L.2228b (£90 for the lot); Witt Bequest 1952

Guercino - Mind to Paper, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-13/05/2007

Guercino - Mind to Paper, J Paul Getty Museum & Los Angeles & California & USA, 24/10/2006-21/01/2007

A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002 ...More

Guercino: Mind to paper, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Courtauld Gallery, London, 2006-2007 Los Angeles, 2006
no. 4
ill. on p. 26

Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
no. 38 and pp. 31 note 92, 32 note 108, 47, 60, 67-68, 279
ill. on p. 67

Guercino: Drawings from Windsor Castle, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., 1991
pp. 54, 56 under no. 17
fig. 18 on p. 56 ...More

Watermark: Watermark: Recto, upper right: a crown with 5 peaks, attached at the central peak to a 6-pointed star (closest in type, though with significant differences, to Heawood 1116 - Rome, 1570).

Inscription: L.1.F.200. di sopra

Collector's mark: collector's mark of Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b)

Label: Sheet of buff coloured paper. Possibly used as restoration material.