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Kneeling figure of a Turkish Warrior and his page (recto)

Maker

(artist)
1614-1685

Formerly attributed to
Juan Bautista Maino (artist)
1581-1641

Title

Date of Production

1600 - 1699

Medium

black and white chalk with black chalk framing lines (recto), black chalk (verso), on blue laid paper

Dimensions

Height: 24.2 cm
Width: 32.7 cm

Accession Number

D.1952.RW.38

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

The heroic, muscular figure, kneeling in reverence, can be identified as a Turkish warrior by his military costume, shaved head, and single lock of hair. He is of high status, as an attendant accompanies him. The drawing might have been preparatory for a contemporary history painting, popular at the Spanish court, or a scene of conversion to Christianity. The fine, careful use of black chalk, finished to a high degree with added white for greater plasticity, is characteristic of Carreño’s pictorial technique.

Provenance

Sir William Stirling Maxwell, London (1818-1878); by descent to his son, Sir John Stirling Maxwell, Glasgow (1866-1956); his sale, Sotheby's (London), 15 - 16 February 1921, lot 249; presumably purchased there by E. Parsons & Sons (London); their sale, cat. 38, 1921, lot 382 (as by Maino); purchased there by Sir Robert Witt (1875-1952) (£3.95); Witt Bequest 1952

Exhibition History

The Spanish Line - From Ribera to Picasso, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 13/10/2011-15/01/2012

A selection of Spanish drawings from the Witt Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1956

Old Masters from the Witt Collection, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 01/01/1943-01/05/1943

Literature

Véliz, Zahira, Spanish Drawings in the Courtauld Gallery: complete catalogue, London, 2011
no. 20
Illus. p. 99

A selection of Spanish drawings from the Witt Collection, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1956
cat. no. 23

Mayer, August L., 'Los dibujos espanoles de la coleccion Witt en Londres' in 'Arte Espanol', 1926-27 - pp. 2-4; VIII, 1
pp. 3-4
Illus. pl. XI

Inscriptions

Watermark: lower centre: bow and arrow (not found in Briquet or Piccard).

Inscription: Recto: lower left corner, graphite: “Fr Jn Ba Mayno”. Verso: lower centre, graphite: “Parte del cuadro de la toma de posesion / del Brasil pr Dn Fadrique de Toledo / en el Retiro”; lower left corner, graphite: “a/”. Mount (removed, in portfolio from P&D), Recto: lower right, graphite: “Parte del quadro de la toma de posesion del Brazil / per Don Fadrique de Toledo – en el Buon Retiro / Madrid_"; lower right, graphite: “/ now in Prado This pic. Has no / connection w. this drawing T.O”; lower left corner, graphite, part Witt number: “38”; lower centre edge, graphite: “From the Collection of Sir John Stirling Maxwell.”.

Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Sir Robert Witt (L.2228b).

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