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Flying putto

Maker

(artist)
1591-1666

Title

Flying putto

Date of Production

(circa) 1650

Medium

red chalk with stumping on laid paper, laid down on a 'Casa Gennari' mount

Dimensions

Height: 20.5 cm
Width: 28.8 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.1861

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 drawing of a putto probably served as a study for Guercino’s paintings where similar – although not identical figures – can be found. It is a good example of the artist’s use of red chalk in his later years when he adopted the medium increasingly. He has aimed for a highly finished effect by modelling the strongly illuminated body, carefully creating three dimensionality, and systematically shading the surrounding space.

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 82 or 83; purchased there by Orioli (Florence); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), n.d.; 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. 34
Fig. p. 94

Drawings by Guercino from British collections, British Museum, London, 1991, 1991
no. 154 and pp. 31n92, 32n97
Fig. p. 183

Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, British Museum, London, 1991
cat. no. 154 ...More

Drawings by Guercino and other Baroque masters, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1977, 1977
p. 19 ...Less

Inscriptions

Inscription: 300

Inscription: Grey mount

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

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

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