Battista dell’Angelo del Moro worked predominantly in Verona and the Veneto area, including Mantua and Venice. In addition to being a skilled painter and miniaturist, he was also a prolific printmaker. His early prints, in particular, reflect the influence of Andrea Schiavone and Parmigianino. In this drawing, del Moro illustrates Christ’s presentation to the people, with Herod watching over the scene from the window. The emotive gesturing of these figures heightens the impact of the scene, where the crowd below, with arms outstretched, mock Christ. To execute this composition, del Moro begins with an initial idea in black chalk, especially visible in the outline of a figure to the left of Christ that the artist then abandoned. He then clarifies these forms using pen-and-ink, adding vertical hatching lines across the figures to suggest variations in light and shadow. This technique may suggest that the Courtauld drawing is a study for a print. A related drawing on the verso of a sheet in the British Museum (inv.1875,0814.2472) shares a similar subject and distribution of figures, although Christ and the crowd are presented in reverse. Del Moro has also made changes to the background, which now features two columns, one beginning above Christ’s head and another behind the figures at right. These variations indicate different stages of del Moro’s process, where he tests multiple solutions and layouts for this scene. Perhaps, he produced the composition in reverse to see how it would appear as a print, but the exact function of this sheet is unknown.

John B. Skippe (1742-1812), probably acquired 1773-1781 in Italy; probably by descent to his sister, Penelope Martin and her husband, James Martin, Overbury Court, Worcestershire (b. 1738); by descent to Edward Holland (d. 1916); by descent to his sister, Mrs J. Rayner-Wood; by descent to her nephew, Edward Holland-Martin; his sale, Christie's (London), 20 - 21 November 1958, lot 262a (as 'Christ mocked' by Venetian School, 16th century); purchased there by Colnaghi (London) (£84, with two others); Wynne Jeudwine (London), 3 - 21 November 1959, no. 9; purchased there by The Courtauld Gallery via the Witt Fund

Newly Acquired Drawings for the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1965-1966

Old Master Drawings at the Alpine Club Gallery, W.R. Jeudwine, London, 03/11/1959-21/11/1959

Exhibition of old master drawings, W.R. Jeudwine at the Alpine Club Gallery, London, November 1959
no. 9
pl. III

Newly Acquired Drawings for the Witt Collection, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1965-1966
cat. no. 10
pl. V

Inscription: 2 5 [or 5 2 the other way]