Paolo Farinati worked primarily in his native town of Verona, but also in Mantua and Venice. He was a prolific draughtsman who became known for his highly finished drawings, often executed on coloured paper. His Giornale, or logbook, records a commission from 1573 to paint, in fresco, the four seasons in a room at the Palazzo Giuliari, Verona. His two sons, Orazio and Giambattista, who had also trained as painters, are noted as having carried out this decorative cycle, now in a compromised state of preservation, using a group of preparatory drawings made for them by their father. The Courtauld drawing is cited as one of these possible preparatory designs. Another related sheet, Allegory of Spring (The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg, inv. 52255), has also been connected to this commission. The figure in this drawing also appears in a painting attributed to Farinati and his workshop, Allegory of Autumn, now in the Castelvecchio Museum’s collection (inv.5288-1B1932), Verona, where it is described as an oil on canvas, though it may have originally been a fresco transferred to canvas. In the painting, the figure retains a similar pose to the drawing but in reverse, and now sits on a vat of grapes. He likely represents Bacchus, the Roman God of agriculture and wine, a figure commonly used for depictions of the autumn season during the 16th century. Beside him, two cherubs play among the grapevines, embodying the season of harvest, abundance, and frivolity. The Castelvecchio Museum situates this painting within Farinati’s late career, coinciding with other commissions executed by his sons, such as a decorative cycle at the Villa Della Torre Mezzane di Sotto in 1595. This context implies that the Courtauld drawing was a preparatory design for a project initiated in 1573 or later, but the specific commission remains uncertain. Note by Alexis Nanavaty, October 2024

Richardson; purchased from him by Sir Robert Witt, London (1872-1952), n.d.; Witt Bequest 1952

Farinati, Paolo, and Lionellò Puppi. Giornale (1573-1606). Firenze: L. S. Olschki, 1968.
cat. no. fig. 40
pp.128 & 129 footnote 1.
connected with the Palazzo Giuliari frescoes

Watermark: Watermark: possibly at lower centre but difficult to see through backing sheet.

Inscription: [...]utuno

Inscription: L'autonne Paolo Farinati Y.F. [?]