possibly Pierre Crozat, Paris (1661-1740), L.3612, though unable to identify in his estate sale; Pierre-Jean Mariette, Paris (1694-1774), L.1852; possibly his estate sale, Mariette (Paris), 10 April - 13 May 1741, lot 789; if so, purchased there by Charles-Philippe Campion, Abbé de Tersan (1736-1819); Count Moriz von Fries, Vienna (1777-1826), L.2903; W. Mellish (London), ca. 1820; Max Rosenheim, Hampstead (1849-1911) and Maurice Rosenheim, Hampstead (1852-1922); their estate sale, Sotheby's (London), 2 May 1923, lot 48; purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), L.2228b (£4.2); Witt Bequest 1952 There are no Viola drawings listed in Crozat's sale, though another drawing currently given to Viola (D.1952.RW.1462) was at the time given to Lodovico Carracci, so the current drawing may have been there under a different attribution. Bernadette Py wrote an exhaustive report on the Italian drawings (http://mini-site.louvre.fr/trimestriel/2015/Catalogue_Crozat/index.html) and did not mention this drawing, though again that is not definitve as she may simply have been unaware of its existence. In the Mariette sale there are 2 drawings by Viola, of which I am assuming this was one, so it has had that attribution at least since Mariette if correct.

Rosenberg, Paul, Les dessins de la Collection Mariette: écoles italienne et espagnole. 4 vols, Paris 2019
vol. III, no. I 2127 on p. 1255

Chiarini, Marco, I disegni italiani di paesaggio dal 1600 al 1750, Venice and Treviso 1972/1973
p. 22 under no. 16

Carracci landscape studies: the drawings related to the 'Recueil de 283 Estampes de Jabach'"
vol. II, pp. 56-58 ...More

Watermark: Watermark: unable to check due to mount.

Inscription: Recto: lower right edge, dark brown ink: “47” [possibly L.3612, Pierre Crozat's number?]. Mount (historic), Recto: lower centre (in cartouche), black ink: “J. BAPT. VIOLA”. Mount (historic), Verso: upper left corner, black ink: “Illust / 10-155 //”; left of centre, graphite, faded and hard to read: “[…] of Arezzo’s / from Mariette’s Collection / see also […] //”; centre, graphite, faded and hard to read: “47 / […] mount / Smith / d l d //”; lower right, graphite: “Giovanni Battista Viola / 1576-1622 / Colls. Mariette / de Fries / Rosenheim / P. //”; lower centre, graphite: “No 8”; another graphite inscription at lower right corner cut off and illegible.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Pierre-Jean Mariette (L.1852); lower left corner, blindstamped: Moriz von Fries (L.2903); lower right corner, pen and brown ink: possibly Pierre Crozat (L.3612)? Mount (historic), Verso: lower right corner, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).