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Warrior - study for 'Hersilia separating Romulus and Tatius'

Maker

(artist)
1591-1666

Title

Warrior - study for 'Hersilia separating Romulus and Tatius'

Date of Production

1645

Medium

pen and ink (brown), wash (brown) on laid paper, formerly on a 'Casa Gennari' mount (now removed but still mounted with the drawing)

Dimensions

Height: 26.5 cm
Width: 19.3 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.1368

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 powerful drawing depicting a warrior standing in a classical contrapposto pose is rich in tonal contrast. It shows in particular Guercino’s capacity to render different textures: fluidly brushed washes convey the smooth surface of the armour, erratic lines describe the leather strips attached to the cuirass, whilst curly pen lines suggest the man’s hair and bristly moustache.

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), L.2228b (£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 ...Less

Literature

Guercino: Mind to paper, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Courtauld Gallery, London, 2006-2007 Los Angeles, 2006
no. 31
Fig. p. 88

Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
no. 141 and pp. 31n92, 31n94, 31n97, 32n108, 165, 172, 262
Illus. on p. 171

Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
cat. no. 141 ...More

Le Guerchin en France, Louvre, Paris, 1990
p. 55

Czere, Andrea, Disegni di artisti bolognesi nel museo delle belle arti di Budapest, Bologna, Nuova Alfa Editoriale, 1989
p. 86

Mahon, Denis and Nicholas Turner, The drawings of Guercino in the collection of Her Majesty the Queen at Windsor Castle, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989
pp. 66, 77

Seicento, la siecle de Caravage dans les collections francaises, Galeries nationales du Grand Palais, Paris; Palazzo Reale, Milan, 1988-1989
p. 247

Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
no. 31

I disegni del Guercino della collezione Mahon, Pinacoteca Communale, Cento, 1967
p. 14n37

Horton, Anne K., 'A Drawing by Guercino' in 'Allen Memorial Art Museum Bulletin', Fall 1960; XVIII, 1
pp. 7, 9, 13, 19
fig. 6 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: 11

Inscription: 1368

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

Collector's mark: collector's mark of John Bouverie (L.325)

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