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Studies for Christ at the Column (recto)
Maker
(artist)
1431-1506
Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1430-1516
1431-1506
Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1430-1516
Title
Studies for Christ at the Column (recto)
Date of Production
1460 - 1465
Medium
pen and brown ink, with traces of a framing line in pen and black ink at upper and lower left corners (recto), pen and brown ink (verso), on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 23.7 cm
Width: 14.5 cm
Width: 14.5 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.345
Mode of Acquisition
Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978
Credit
The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)
Copyright
Work in the public domain
Location
Not currently on display
Keywords
Related Works
Label Text
This exceptionally rare study by the Northern Italian painter and printmaker Andrea Mantegna was made in preparation for an engraving (an impression of which is in the collection, G.1978.PG.6). The artist used both sides of the paper to explore ways of depicting the Biblical scene of the Flagellation, in which Christ is violently scourged. Mantegna shows Christ twice as a muscular nude at the moment before being whipped. His slumped posture, bound hands and downcast expression powerfully convey his human suffering, whereas the heroic body and the halo communicate his divinity.
(verso)
Mantegna probably started with this side of the study sheet. Here, Christ’s overwhelmingly large tormentor is depicted in an aggressive stance in between two portrayals of Christ in agony. With little concern for facial details, Mantegna loosely outlined the figures and experimented with alternative ways of showing Christ’s bent, anguished torso. The explicit vulnerability of the Son of God deviates from the Biblical account of his suffering and its depiction in earlier paintings.
(verso)
Mantegna probably started with this side of the study sheet. Here, Christ’s overwhelmingly large tormentor is depicted in an aggressive stance in between two portrayals of Christ in agony. With little concern for facial details, Mantegna loosely outlined the figures and experimented with alternative ways of showing Christ’s bent, anguished torso. The explicit vulnerability of the Son of God deviates from the Biblical account of his suffering and its depiction in earlier paintings.
Provenance
unknown collector, L. 2798 (lower right); John Skippe (1741-1812), possibly acquired by him in Italy between 1773 and 1781 (he is also usually associated with unidentified mark L.2798); by descent to his sister, Penelope Martin; by descent to her son, James Martin; by descent to Edward Holland (d. 1916); by descent to his sister, Mrs A.C. Rayner-Wood, before 1930 until at least 1953 (when it was listed in publications/exhibitions as owned by her); by descent to Edward Holland-Martin (1900-1981) until November 1958; his estate sale (Skippe collection), Christie's (London), 20-21 November 1958, lot 36; purchased there by Colnaghi (London) on behalf of Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978) (£15,750, as Bellini); Princes Gate Bequest 1978
Exhibition History
Mantegna/Bellini, National Gallery, London, 01/10/2018-27/01/2019; Staatliche Museen, Berlin, 01/03/2019-30/06/2019
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Mantegna 1431-1506, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 22/09/2008-05/01/2009
Andrea Mantegna, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 17/01/1992-05/04/1992
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 29/01/1982-25/07/1982
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
Commemorative exhibition of the art treasures of the Midlands, Birmingham, 1934
Winter exhibition: Italian Art 1200-1900, Royal Academy, London, 01/01/1930-08/03/1930 ...Less
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012 ...More
Mantegna 1431-1506, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 22/09/2008-05/01/2009
Andrea Mantegna, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 17/01/1992-05/04/1992
Mantegna to Cezanne - Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 24/02/1983-19/06/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 29/01/1982-25/07/1982
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
Commemorative exhibition of the art treasures of the Midlands, Birmingham, 1934
Winter exhibition: Italian Art 1200-1900, Royal Academy, London, 01/01/1930-08/03/1930 ...Less
Literature
'Shaping sacrifice: the body in the work of Mantegna and Bellini' in 'Mantegna & Bellini', National Gallery, London and Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, 1 October 2018 - 30 June 2019, 2018, pp. 196-205
pp. 200-01
fig. 195 on p. 200 (verso and recto)
as Mantegna, 1460-65
Fowler, Caroline O., 'Res Papirea: Mantegna's Paper Things' in 'The Art Bulletin', 2017 - pp. 8-35; 99, 1
p. 13
figs. 5 on p. 12 (recto) and 6 on p. 13 (verso)
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 1
ill. on pp. 37 (recto), 39 (verso)
as Mantegna, dated early to mid 1460s ...More
Christiansen, Keith, 'The genius of Andrea Mantegna' in 'Metrpolitan Museum of Art Bulletin', 2009; 67, 2
pp. 18-26
Mantegna 1431-1506, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2008-2009, 2008
cat. no. 42
ill. on pp. 142 (recto), 143 (verso)
as Mantegna, c. 1456-59
Lincoln, Evelyn, The invention of the Italian Renaissance printmaker, New Haven and London 2000
p. 36
figs. 19 (recto) and 20 (verso) on p. 34
Da Leonardo a Canaletto: disegni delle, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, 24 April - 25 July 1999 Milan 1999
p. 30 under no. 5
Wiemers, Michael, Bildform und Werkgenese: Studien zur zeichnerischen Bildvorbereitung in der italienischen Malerei zwischen 1450 und 1490, Munich and Berlin 1996
pp. 167-69
figs. 151 on p. 166 (verso) and 152 on p. 167 (recto)
Goldner, George, 'Review: Andrea Mantegna, exhibition catalogue by Suzanne Boorsch et al., 1992' in 'Master Drawings', Summer 1993 - pp. 172-76; 31, 2
p. 174
it is no. 35
Lincoln, Evelyn, 'Mantegna's Culture of Line' in 'Art History', Mar. 1993 - pp. 33-59; 1, 1
pp. 45-47
figs. 25 (recto) and 26 (verso) on p. 47
Christiansen, Keith, 'The case for Mantegna as printmaker' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Sep. 1993 - pp. 604-12; 135, 1086
p. 611
it is referred to as no. 35
Andrea Mantegna, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1992
cat. no. 35
also on p. 195 under no. 36
ill. on p. 194 (recto and verso)
entry author: David Ekserdjian
Akker, Paul van den, Sporen van vaardigheid: De ontwerpmethode voor de figuurhouding in de Italiaanse tekenkunst van de renaissance, Abcoude 1991
p. 115
fig. 190 (recto)
Mauro Lucco, ed., La pittura nel Veneto. Il Quattrocento, vol. II, Milan: Electa, 1990
p. 665; p. 684, n. 30
figs. 814-15 on p. 665
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 118
ill. on p. 119
as Mantegna
Lightbown, Ronald, Mantegna: with a complete catalogue of the paintings, drawings and prints, Oxford 1986
no. 179 on p. 482
pls. 209a (recto) and 209b (verso)
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 6
ill. on p. 15 (recto)
as Mantegna
Drawing in the Italian Renaissance workshop, University Art Gallery, Nottingham and Victoria and Albert Museum, London 12 Feruary - 15 May 1983, 1983
p. 180
fig. IVD on p. 181 (verso)
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1982
cat. no. 170
ill. on p. 121 (recto)
recto and verso, as Mantegna
Baldini, Cesare, 'La prospettiva nella "flagellazione" del Mantegna' in 'Print Collector', 1981; 54, 5
pp. 2ff
Ames-Lewis, Francis, Drawing in early Renaissance Italy, New Haven and London 1981
p. 112 (?)
fig. 90 (recto)
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 345
Chaet, Bernhard, The art of drawing, New York 1970
pp. 243-44
fig. 245
Degenhart, Bernhard and Annegrit Schmitt, Corpus der italienischen Zeichnungen 1300-1450, Berlin 1968
p. 363n13, pp. 350ff
fig. 475
Heinemann, Fritz; translated by Lucio Grossato and Franco Barbieri, Giovanni Bellini e i Belliniani, Venice 1962-91; 3 vols.
[1962] no. 330 on p. 83
fig. 150
as Bellini
Andrea Mantegna, Mantua, 1961
p. 173 under no. 130 and p. 199 under no. 149
Mullaly, Terence, 'Pen and ink studies fetch 15,000 gns. at memorable sale', Nov. 1958
unpag.
ill. (recto)
Chrstie's, London, Catalogue of the well-known collection of Old Master drawings principally of the Italian school formed in the 18th century by John Skippe now the property of Edward Holland Martin, Esq., 20-21 Nov. 1958
lot 36
frontispiece
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 17
also p. 11 under no. 22
recto, as Bellini
Byam Shaw, J., 'A Giovanni Bellini at Bristol' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1952; XCIV
p. 158
as Bellini and still belonging to Rayner-Wood
Popham, A.E. and Philip Pouncey, Italian drawings in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum: the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, London 1950; 2 vols.
p. 8 under no. 11
Dussler, Luitpold, Giovanni Bellini, Vienna 1949
p. 83
Fiocco, G., 'I disegni di Giambellino' in 'Arte Veneta', 1949; III
p. 42
Hind, A.M., Early Italian engravings, London 1948
part II, vol. V, p. 17 under no. 8
Tietze, Hans and Erica Tietze-Conrat, The drawings of the Venetian Painters in the 15th and 16th centuries, New York, 1944
no. 317 on p. 88
pl. XXIX (recto)
tentatively as Bellini
Marle, R. van, The development of the Italian schools of painting, The Hague 1935; XVII
pp. 349-50
Commemorative exhibition of the art treasures of the Midlands, Birmingham, 1934
cat. no. 210
as Bellini, lent by Mrs A.C. Rayner-Wood
Fiocco, G., 'Andrea Mantegna o Giambellino?' in 'L'Arte', 1933; N.S., IV
p. 192
Hendy, Philip, 'Two Giovanni Bellini drawings' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1932; LXI
p. 67
fig. D on p. 66 (recto)
Baron v. Hadeln, Detlev, 'Giovanni Bellini or Mantegna?' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1932; LXI
p. 230
fig. A (recto)
as by Bellini, belonging to Mrs A.C. Rayner-Wood
Clark, Kenneth, 'Giovanni Bellini or Mantegna?' under 'Letters' in 'The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs', 1932; LXI
pp. 232, 235
as by Bellini
Clark, Kenneth and Lord Balniel, A commemorative catalogue of the exhibition of Italian art, Oxford 1931
cat. no. 708
no. 763
recto, as Bellini or Mantegna
Popham, A.E., Italian drawings exhibited at the Royal Academy...1930, Oxford 1931
no. 161
pl. CXXXIX (recto)
as Bellini or Mantegna
Russell, A.G.B., The Vasari Society, 1930; 2nd series, XI
3
Clark, Kenneth, 'Italian drawings at Burlington House' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1930; LVI
p. 187
fig. A on pl. III (recto)
as Bellini
Italian art exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Academy, London, 1930 Oxford 1931
cat. no. 708
as Bellini, lent by Mrs A.C. Rayner Wood
Constable, W.G., 'Dipinti di raccolte inglesi alla Mostra d'Arte italiana a Londra' in 'Dedalo', 1929/30; X
p. 739
ill. on p. 746 (recto) ...Less
pp. 200-01
fig. 195 on p. 200 (verso and recto)
as Mantegna, 1460-65
Fowler, Caroline O., 'Res Papirea: Mantegna's Paper Things' in 'The Art Bulletin', 2017 - pp. 8-35; 99, 1
p. 13
figs. 5 on p. 12 (recto) and 6 on p. 13 (verso)
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 1
ill. on pp. 37 (recto), 39 (verso)
as Mantegna, dated early to mid 1460s ...More
Christiansen, Keith, 'The genius of Andrea Mantegna' in 'Metrpolitan Museum of Art Bulletin', 2009; 67, 2
pp. 18-26
Mantegna 1431-1506, Musée du Louvre, Paris, 2008-2009, 2008
cat. no. 42
ill. on pp. 142 (recto), 143 (verso)
as Mantegna, c. 1456-59
Lincoln, Evelyn, The invention of the Italian Renaissance printmaker, New Haven and London 2000
p. 36
figs. 19 (recto) and 20 (verso) on p. 34
Da Leonardo a Canaletto: disegni delle, Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice, 24 April - 25 July 1999 Milan 1999
p. 30 under no. 5
Wiemers, Michael, Bildform und Werkgenese: Studien zur zeichnerischen Bildvorbereitung in der italienischen Malerei zwischen 1450 und 1490, Munich and Berlin 1996
pp. 167-69
figs. 151 on p. 166 (verso) and 152 on p. 167 (recto)
Goldner, George, 'Review: Andrea Mantegna, exhibition catalogue by Suzanne Boorsch et al., 1992' in 'Master Drawings', Summer 1993 - pp. 172-76; 31, 2
p. 174
it is no. 35
Lincoln, Evelyn, 'Mantegna's Culture of Line' in 'Art History', Mar. 1993 - pp. 33-59; 1, 1
pp. 45-47
figs. 25 (recto) and 26 (verso) on p. 47
Christiansen, Keith, 'The case for Mantegna as printmaker' in 'The Burlington Magazine', Sep. 1993 - pp. 604-12; 135, 1086
p. 611
it is referred to as no. 35
Andrea Mantegna, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1992
cat. no. 35
also on p. 195 under no. 36
ill. on p. 194 (recto and verso)
entry author: David Ekserdjian
Akker, Paul van den, Sporen van vaardigheid: De ontwerpmethode voor de figuurhouding in de Italiaanse tekenkunst van de renaissance, Abcoude 1991
p. 115
fig. 190 (recto)
Mauro Lucco, ed., La pittura nel Veneto. Il Quattrocento, vol. II, Milan: Electa, 1990
p. 665; p. 684, n. 30
figs. 814-15 on p. 665
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 118
ill. on p. 119
as Mantegna
Lightbown, Ronald, Mantegna: with a complete catalogue of the paintings, drawings and prints, Oxford 1986
no. 179 on p. 482
pls. 209a (recto) and 209b (verso)
Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 6
ill. on p. 15 (recto)
as Mantegna
Drawing in the Italian Renaissance workshop, University Art Gallery, Nottingham and Victoria and Albert Museum, London 12 Feruary - 15 May 1983, 1983
p. 180
fig. IVD on p. 181 (verso)
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1982
cat. no. 170
ill. on p. 121 (recto)
recto and verso, as Mantegna
Baldini, Cesare, 'La prospettiva nella "flagellazione" del Mantegna' in 'Print Collector', 1981; 54, 5
pp. 2ff
Ames-Lewis, Francis, Drawing in early Renaissance Italy, New Haven and London 1981
p. 112 (?)
fig. 90 (recto)
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 345
Chaet, Bernhard, The art of drawing, New York 1970
pp. 243-44
fig. 245
Degenhart, Bernhard and Annegrit Schmitt, Corpus der italienischen Zeichnungen 1300-1450, Berlin 1968
p. 363n13, pp. 350ff
fig. 475
Heinemann, Fritz; translated by Lucio Grossato and Franco Barbieri, Giovanni Bellini e i Belliniani, Venice 1962-91; 3 vols.
[1962] no. 330 on p. 83
fig. 150
as Bellini
Andrea Mantegna, Mantua, 1961
p. 173 under no. 130 and p. 199 under no. 149
Mullaly, Terence, 'Pen and ink studies fetch 15,000 gns. at memorable sale', Nov. 1958
unpag.
ill. (recto)
Chrstie's, London, Catalogue of the well-known collection of Old Master drawings principally of the Italian school formed in the 18th century by John Skippe now the property of Edward Holland Martin, Esq., 20-21 Nov. 1958
lot 36
frontispiece
Drawings by Old Masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1953
cat. no. 17
also p. 11 under no. 22
recto, as Bellini
Byam Shaw, J., 'A Giovanni Bellini at Bristol' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1952; XCIV
p. 158
as Bellini and still belonging to Rayner-Wood
Popham, A.E. and Philip Pouncey, Italian drawings in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum: the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, London 1950; 2 vols.
p. 8 under no. 11
Dussler, Luitpold, Giovanni Bellini, Vienna 1949
p. 83
Fiocco, G., 'I disegni di Giambellino' in 'Arte Veneta', 1949; III
p. 42
Hind, A.M., Early Italian engravings, London 1948
part II, vol. V, p. 17 under no. 8
Tietze, Hans and Erica Tietze-Conrat, The drawings of the Venetian Painters in the 15th and 16th centuries, New York, 1944
no. 317 on p. 88
pl. XXIX (recto)
tentatively as Bellini
Marle, R. van, The development of the Italian schools of painting, The Hague 1935; XVII
pp. 349-50
Commemorative exhibition of the art treasures of the Midlands, Birmingham, 1934
cat. no. 210
as Bellini, lent by Mrs A.C. Rayner-Wood
Fiocco, G., 'Andrea Mantegna o Giambellino?' in 'L'Arte', 1933; N.S., IV
p. 192
Hendy, Philip, 'Two Giovanni Bellini drawings' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1932; LXI
p. 67
fig. D on p. 66 (recto)
Baron v. Hadeln, Detlev, 'Giovanni Bellini or Mantegna?' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1932; LXI
p. 230
fig. A (recto)
as by Bellini, belonging to Mrs A.C. Rayner-Wood
Clark, Kenneth, 'Giovanni Bellini or Mantegna?' under 'Letters' in 'The Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs', 1932; LXI
pp. 232, 235
as by Bellini
Clark, Kenneth and Lord Balniel, A commemorative catalogue of the exhibition of Italian art, Oxford 1931
cat. no. 708
no. 763
recto, as Bellini or Mantegna
Popham, A.E., Italian drawings exhibited at the Royal Academy...1930, Oxford 1931
no. 161
pl. CXXXIX (recto)
as Bellini or Mantegna
Russell, A.G.B., The Vasari Society, 1930; 2nd series, XI
3
Clark, Kenneth, 'Italian drawings at Burlington House' in 'Burlington Magazine', 1930; LVI
p. 187
fig. A on pl. III (recto)
as Bellini
Italian art exhibited at the Royal Academy, Royal Academy, London, 1930 Oxford 1931
cat. no. 708
as Bellini, lent by Mrs A.C. Rayner Wood
Constable, W.G., 'Dipinti di raccolte inglesi alla Mostra d'Arte italiana a Londra' in 'Dedalo', 1929/30; X
p. 739
ill. on p. 746 (recto) ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: centre: three mounds, the centre one twice as high as the others (no exact match found; several similar marks of similar size of approx. 27 mm h x 25 mm w with 29 mm btwn chain lines in Piccard 150008-1500058, Italian and German papers dating 1420-50s, though their chain lines are much wider than on this sheet).
Inscription: none.
Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in gold: unidentified collector (L.2798).
Inscription: none.
Collector's mark: Recto: lower right corner, stamped in gold: unidentified collector (L.2798).
Information on this object may be incomplete and will be updated as research progresses. We are particularly committed to addressing any discriminatory or offensive language and ideas that might be present in our records. To help improve this record, and to enquire about images of The Courtauld Gallery Collection, please email gallery.collectionsonline@courtauld.ac.uk. Find out more about using and licensing our images.
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