by-nc

Sheet of studies

Maker

Francesco Curia
c. 1538-1608

Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1499-1543

Title

Sheet of studies

Medium

pen and two different brown inks on laid paper, laid down

Dimensions

Height: 23.9 cm
Width: 18.7 cm

Accession Number

D.1978.PG.355

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


Provenance

Herbert William Underdown (1864-1944) [as recorded on mount of photograph in Witt Library]; his sale, Sotheby's, London, 9 February 1927, lot 7 (as Sheet of Studies' by School of Giorgione, photocopy in file); purchased there by E. Parsons & Sons, London, for £3; Hans M. Calmann, London (1899-1982) [who wrote to Seilern 'that the drawing has been lying in my boxes for many years']; purchased from him by Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978), June 1968, for £450; Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Literature

Abbadie, Julien. “Nouvelle proposition d’attribution : étude pour un Mariage mystique de sainte Catherine de Francesco Curia au musée de Grenoble” ArtItalies 29 (2023) : pp. 80-84
p. 82
ill. on p. 82
erratum, figs.3 and 4 have been mistakenly reversed

Majo, Ippolita di, Francesco Curia: l'opera completa, Naples, 2002
no. D19
ill. on p. 148
Confirmed attribution to Curia - see e.g. similar designs by Curia in Stockholm. Not convinced by connection Leone de Castris made between this drawing and the ceiling of Santa Maria la Nova as none of the figures correspond.

Leone de Castris, Pierluigi, Pittura del cinquecento a Napoli. 1573-1606, l'ultima maniera, Naples, 1991
p. 139 note 66
ill. on p. 137 ...More

Leone de Castris, Pierluigi, 'Avvio a Francesco Curia disegnatore', Prospettiva, 39, October 1984, pp. 11-24
pp. 11, 18
reattributed to Francesco Curia

Ravelli, Lanfranco, Polidoro Valdara da Caravaggio, Bergamo 1978
no. 237
ill. p. 211
under 'Disegni del Periodo Messinese 1528-34'

Seilern, Count Antoine, Italian paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7. Addenda, London 1969; V
no. 355
as Polidoro, attributed by Michael Hirst ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: none.

Collector's mark: none.

Inscription: Recto: right centre, brown ink but has been deliberately effaced and is only visible under UV and in photograph at Witt Library: "Salv: Rosa."; lower centre edge, brown ink but has been deliberately effaced and is only visible under UV and in photograph at Witt Library: "Giorgione". Verso (hidden under backing sheet, visible via transmitted light): lower left, brown ink: “or Veronese / Tintoretto, [...] salvator rosa” Backing sheet, recto (hidden under drawing, visible via transmitted light): centre, brown ink: "Stizzi di penna di più" Verso (backing sheet): lower right edge, graphite, circled (Drey number? See photo): “J.1074” and beside that, in graphite: “J/WW/- £ 350/-”.

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