Study of a seated actor in a plumed hat - Capitano from the Commedia dell'Arte (recto)
Study of the head of a seated actor as Capitano (verso)
Maker
School of
(artist)
1606-1669
(artist)
1619-1676
Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1606-1669
(artist)
1606-1669
(artist)
1619-1676
Formerly attributed to
(artist)
1606-1669
Title
Study of a seated actor in a plumed hat - Capitano from the Commedia dell'Arte (recto)
Study of the head of a seated actor as Capitano (verso)
Study of the head of a seated actor as Capitano (verso)
Date of Production
(circa) 1636 - 1640
Medium
pen and brown ink and a stroke of brown wash with brown ink framing lines (recto), pen and brown ink (verso), on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 18.5 cm
Width: 14.4 cm
Width: 14.4 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.406
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
Label Text
The actor was a subject of repeated interest for Rembrandt. These types of figure studies were a means of practice, preparation and instruction within the workshop, resulting in a number of early copies or interpretations by his pupils. Here, the actor’s bravado is expressed through a vigorous handling of the pen, yet the somewhat lurching strokes, rather schematic facial features and flat quality of the right leg seem foreign to Rembrandt.
Provenance
John Bouverie, England (c.1722/23-1750), L.325; Julius Boehler (Munich); Heinrich Eisemann (Frankfurt-am-Main); purchased from him by Colnaghi (London), 1926 (£400); purchased there by Hofer (?), 1928 (£520); sold by him along with all of his drawings during the war (according to a letter from Byam Shaw in the object file); Alverthorpe Gallery (Jenkintown, Pennsylvania); Lessing J. Rosenwald, Jenkintown, Pennsylvania (1891-1979, owner of the Alverthorpe Gallery); his daughter-in-law, Dorothy Rosenwald, Pennsylvania (1920-2017); her sale, Sotheby's (London), 6 July 1967, lot 8; purchased there by Colnaghi (London) on behalf of Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978); Princes Gate Bequest 1978 [Adapted from information provided in Martin Royalton-Kisch's online revision of Benesch's catalogue raisonné and supplemented by a letter from Colnaghi in the object file]
Exhibition History
Special Display - Rembrandt drawings, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/02/2007-03/06/2007
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 29/01/1982-25/07/1982 ...More
Rembrandt Drawings from American Collections, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York and Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 1960 ...Less
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 02/07/1983-25/09/1983
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 29/01/1982-25/07/1982 ...More
Rembrandt Drawings from American Collections, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York and Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 1960 ...Less
Literature
Royalton-Kisch, Martin, The drawings of Rembrandt: a revision of Otto Benesch's catalogue raisonné, rembrandtcatalogue.net ongoing
Benesch 0294 (posted 26 September 2016) and under 0204a, 0292, 0294A, 0295, 0298 and 0299
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout? c. 1636-40
Bevers, Holm, 'Drawings by Jan Victors: the shaping of an oeuvre of a Rembrandt pupil' in 'Master Drawings: Rembrandt drawings: the core list', 2011 - pp. 371-404; XLIX, 3
pp. 384-85
fig. 33 on p. 384
attributed to Jan Victors
Day, Richard, Artful Tales. The Unlikely and Implausible Journal of an Art Dealer, 1957 to 1997, published privately 2008
pp. 133
says that Jim Byam Shaw, who had purchased the drawing on behalf of Count Seilern, sliced through the drawing when he tried to remove it from the mount ...More
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 154
ill. on p. 155
dated c. 1635
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 5
ill. on cover
dated c. 1635
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1982
cat. no. 177
Seilern, Count Antoine, Recent Acquisitions at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1971; VI
no. 406
pl. XV
dated c. 1635
Waal, H. van de, 'Rembrandt at Vondel's Tragedy Gijsbreght van Amstel' in 'Miscellanea I.Q. van Regteren Altena', Amsterdam 1969 - pp. 145-49
pp. 146-47
Sotheby's (London), Old master drawings, part II : Dutch, Flemish, German and Spanish drawings of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries., 13 May 1964
lot 38
ill.
Volskaya, V., 'Theatre-Players in Drawings by Rembrandt', in 'Isskustvo', 1961 - pp. 54-60; iv
pp. 54-60
the recto as Capitano, the verso as Zanni
Rembrandt Drawings from American Collections,, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York and Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 1960
cat. no. 11
ill.
dated c. 1635
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. II, no. 294
figs. 330-331
dated c. 1635 based on a travelling English troupe
Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 23
Valentiner, W.R., Rembrandt. Des Meisters Handzeichnungen. Klassiker der Kunst, Stuttgart and Berlin 1934; xxxi, vol. II
no. 754
ill.
Valentiner, W.R., 'Komödiantendarstellungen Rembrandts’ in 'Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst', 1925–26 - pp. 265–77; lix
p. 271
ill. on p. 269 ...Less
Benesch 0294 (posted 26 September 2016) and under 0204a, 0292, 0294A, 0295, 0298 and 0299
Gerbrand van den Eeckhout? c. 1636-40
Bevers, Holm, 'Drawings by Jan Victors: the shaping of an oeuvre of a Rembrandt pupil' in 'Master Drawings: Rembrandt drawings: the core list', 2011 - pp. 371-404; XLIX, 3
pp. 384-85
fig. 33 on p. 384
attributed to Jan Victors
Day, Richard, Artful Tales. The Unlikely and Implausible Journal of an Art Dealer, 1957 to 1997, published privately 2008
pp. 133
says that Jim Byam Shaw, who had purchased the drawing on behalf of Count Seilern, sliced through the drawing when he tried to remove it from the mount ...More
Farr, Dennis, 100 Masterpieces from the Courtauld Collections, London: Courtauld Institute Galleries, 1987
p. 154
ill. on p. 155
dated c. 1635
Drawings by Rembrandt in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Galllery, 1983
cat. no. 5
ill. on cover
dated c. 1635
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1982
cat. no. 177
Seilern, Count Antoine, Recent Acquisitions at 56 Princes Gate, London SW7, London 1971; VI
no. 406
pl. XV
dated c. 1635
Waal, H. van de, 'Rembrandt at Vondel's Tragedy Gijsbreght van Amstel' in 'Miscellanea I.Q. van Regteren Altena', Amsterdam 1969 - pp. 145-49
pp. 146-47
Sotheby's (London), Old master drawings, part II : Dutch, Flemish, German and Spanish drawings of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries., 13 May 1964
lot 38
ill.
Volskaya, V., 'Theatre-Players in Drawings by Rembrandt', in 'Isskustvo', 1961 - pp. 54-60; iv
pp. 54-60
the recto as Capitano, the verso as Zanni
Rembrandt Drawings from American Collections,, Pierpont Morgan Library, New York and Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, MA, 1960
cat. no. 11
ill.
dated c. 1635
Benesch, Otto, Corpus der Rembrandtzeichnungen, 1954-73
vol. II, no. 294
figs. 330-331
dated c. 1635 based on a travelling English troupe
Benesch, O., Rembrandt. Werk und Forschung, Vienna 1935
p. 23
Valentiner, W.R., Rembrandt. Des Meisters Handzeichnungen. Klassiker der Kunst, Stuttgart and Berlin 1934; xxxi, vol. II
no. 754
ill.
Valentiner, W.R., 'Komödiantendarstellungen Rembrandts’ in 'Zeitschrift für bildende Kunst', 1925–26 - pp. 265–77; lix
p. 271
ill. on p. 269 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: Watermark: Recto, right lower edge, fragment: lower edge of a Strasburg lily above "4" above monogram "WR".
Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, stamped in black: John Bouverie (L.325). Verso: left of centre, stamped in black: unidentified collector (not in Lugt) – 2 partially stamped small black anchors.
Inscription: Verso: lower centre edge, graphite, Colnaghi number: "A.4747"; lower right edge, graphite, partially hidden under handling edges, a later Colnaghi number: "D30142".
Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, stamped in black: John Bouverie (L.325). Verso: left of centre, stamped in black: unidentified collector (not in Lugt) – 2 partially stamped small black anchors.
Inscription: Verso: lower centre edge, graphite, Colnaghi number: "A.4747"; lower right edge, graphite, partially hidden under handling edges, a later Colnaghi number: "D30142".
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