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Nude woman, seated, embracing a child (formerly 'Venus seated, embracing Cupid')
Maker
(artist)
1591-1666
1591-1666
Title
Nude woman, seated, embracing a child (formerly 'Venus seated, embracing Cupid')
Date of Production
(circa) 1625
Medium
pen and brown ink, brown wash on laid paper, laid down on an historic mount
Dimensions
Height: 23.4 cm
Width: 18.2 cm
Width: 18.2 cm
Accession Number
D.1952.RW.1358
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
In this study Guercino interprets the topic of a mother embracing her child particularly sensuously. The woman, whose nudity is underlined by the stocking which has slipped down her leg, kisses the boy and tenderly presses his face to hers. The subject has also been interpreted as Venus and Cupid by some scholars.
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 - 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
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991 ...More
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
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 01/09/1960-01/10/1960
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
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
17th Century Art in Europe, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 03/01/1938-12/03/1938
Exhibition of Drawings of the Bolognese School, Walter Gernsheim, London, 10/05/1937-10/06/1937
catalogue untraced, Burlington Fine Arts Club, London, 1923 (Apr. - Jul.) ...Less
Guercino - Mind to Paper, J Paul Getty Museum & Los Angeles & California & USA, 24/10/2006-21/01/2007
Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991 ...More
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
Old Master Drawings from the Witt Collection, Auckland City Art Gallery, 01/09/1960-01/10/1960
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London; York City Art Gallery; Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
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
17th Century Art in Europe, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 03/01/1938-12/03/1938
Exhibition of Drawings of the Bolognese School, Walter Gernsheim, London, 10/05/1937-10/06/1937
catalogue untraced, Burlington Fine Arts Club, London, 1923 (Apr. - Jul.) ...Less
Literature
Guercino: Mind to paper, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Courtauld Gallery, London, 2006-2007 Los Angeles, 2006
no. 7
ill. on p. 34
Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
cat. no. 46
pp. 31 note 92, 31 note 95, 32 note 108, 44, 75
ill. on p. 75
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
p. 20 ...More
Italian old master drawings: Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, National Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, 1973
cat. no. 32
p. 19
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. 220
Horton, Anne K., 'A Drawing by Guercino' in 'Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin', Fall 1960; XVIII, 1
p. 15 note 17
p. 12
pl. 16
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 76
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 143
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 55
Drawings of the old masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1943
p. 24
17th Century Art in Europe, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1938
cat. no. 465
Ragghianti, Carlo Ludovico, 'Notizie e Letture' in 'La Critica d'Arte', 1938; 3
pp. xvi-xviii, xx
fig. 5
Popham, A.E., 'Review of Seventeenth-Century Art in Europe at Burlington House: the drawings', Burlington Magazine, 72, 418, January 1938, pp. 13-20
p. 19
Seventeenth-Century Art in Europe, Popham, A.E.
p. 162
Russell, Archibald G.B., Drawings by Guercino, London, 1923
pp. 21, 43
pl. X ...Less
no. 7
ill. on p. 34
Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
cat. no. 46
pp. 31 note 92, 31 note 95, 32 note 108, 44, 75
ill. on p. 75
Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
p. 20 ...More
Italian old master drawings: Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, National Art Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand, 1973
cat. no. 32
p. 19
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. 220
Horton, Anne K., 'A Drawing by Guercino' in 'Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin', Fall 1960; XVIII, 1
p. 15 note 17
p. 12
pl. 16
Blunt, Anthony, Hand-list of the drawings in the Witt Collection, London, 1956
p. 76
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 143
Drawings from the Witt Collection at the Courtauld Institute of Art, St James's Square, London, York City Art Gallery and Peterborough Art Gallery, 1953
cat. no. 55
Drawings of the old masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 1943
p. 24
17th Century Art in Europe, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1938
cat. no. 465
Ragghianti, Carlo Ludovico, 'Notizie e Letture' in 'La Critica d'Arte', 1938; 3
pp. xvi-xviii, xx
fig. 5
Popham, A.E., 'Review of Seventeenth-Century Art in Europe at Burlington House: the drawings', Burlington Magazine, 72, 418, January 1938, pp. 13-20
p. 19
Seventeenth-Century Art in Europe, Popham, A.E.
p. 162
Russell, Archibald G.B., Drawings by Guercino, London, 1923
pp. 21, 43
pl. X ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: none evident in the drawing sheet.
Mount (historic): centre: appears twice, superimposed, once upside down: “PORTAL” (papermaker who founded his mill in Hampshire in 1712; absence of a date and eventual partner name 'Bridges' suggests this paper dates pre-1794).
Inscription: 34. Pr. Fo.
Collector's mark: Mount (historic), Verso: lower right corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).
Inscription: 34. Pr. Fo.
Collector's mark: Mount (historic), Verso: lower right corner, stamped in black: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).
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