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Virgin Mary reading to the infant Christ (recto)
Maker
(artist)
1460-1526
1460-1526
Title
Virgin Mary reading to the infant Christ (recto)
Date of Production
(circa) 1485-1495
Medium
red chalk, pen and brown ink (recto and verso) on laid paper
Dimensions
Height: 13.1 cm
Width: 9.5 cm
Width: 9.5 cm
Accession Number
D.1978.PG.82
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
Perched on a window ledge, a mother turns from her book to look at her son. Only the haloes and the crown held by the toddler indicate that this is Mary and the infant Christ. The mood is domestic and almost impromptu, as if the sitters have been captured unawares. Representations of the Virgin and Child were among the stock-in-trade of every Renaissance artist. The back of this sheet holds another study of this subject by the Venetian painter Carpaccio.
(verso)
The construction and technique of this drawing is typical of Carpaccio. He often laid-in the rudiments of his drawings with red chalk and then built up the composition with pen and ink. However, here the chalk also contributes to the final effect, working in combination with the ink to create the strong sense of shape and shadow on the Virgin’s robe and headdress.
(verso)
The construction and technique of this drawing is typical of Carpaccio. He often laid-in the rudiments of his drawings with red chalk and then built up the composition with pen and ink. However, here the chalk also contributes to the final effect, working in combination with the ink to create the strong sense of shape and shadow on the Virgin’s robe and headdress.
Notes
The drawings on recto and verso are likely of the same date, as they seem to depict the same model for the Virgin and infant. However, they seem to be related to paintings executed 15 years apart - the verso is Carpaccio's first idea for a signed painting now in the Stadelmuseum, Frankfurt, of c. 1490. The recto is connected to the Virgin Reading in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, c. 1505.
Provenance
Sir Thomas Lawrence, London (1769-1830), L.2445; ceded by his executors to Samuel Woodburn (London), 1835; Woodburn estate sale, Christie’s (London), 4 - 8 June 1860, lot 2; purchased there by Sir Thomas Phillips (1792-1872); by descent to his grandson, Thomas Fitzroy Fenwick (1856-1938); purchased from the Fenwick estate by Count Antoine Seilern, London (1901-1978), 1946; Princes Gate Bequest 1978
Exhibition History
Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 20/11/2022-12/02/2023
Renaissance in Venice: Painting in the Age of Titian, Stadel Museum, Frankfurt, 13/02/2019-26/05/2019
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013 ...More
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012
A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 17/07/1981-26/01/1982
Drawing - Technique and Purpose, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 28/01/1981-26/04/1981 ...Less
Renaissance in Venice: Painting in the Age of Titian, Stadel Museum, Frankfurt, 13/02/2019-26/05/2019
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Frick Collection, New York, 02/10/2012-27/01/2013 ...More
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 14/06/2012-09/09/2012
A Passion for Drawings, Collectors at the Courtauld, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 28/02/2002-09/06/2002
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 16/10/1991-19/01/1992
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 17/07/1981-26/01/1982
Drawing - Technique and Purpose, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 28/01/1981-26/04/1981 ...Less
Literature
Titian and the Renaissance in Venice, Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, 2019
pp. 52-53
ill. on p. 51 (recto and verso)
entry author: Anne Bloemacher
Whistler, Catherine, Venice and Drawing 1500-1800: Theory, Practice and Collecting, New Haven and London 2017
pp. xvii-xviii
figs. 6 (recto) and 7 (verso) on p. xviii
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 6
pp. 56-59
ill. on p. 56 (verso), p. 57 (recto)
dated late 1480s-early 1490s ...More
Boskovitz, Miklós, Italian paintings of the 15th century: a systematic catalogue of the collections of the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 2003
pp. 190-91
fig. 3 on p. 190 (recto)
entry author: Echols
Fletcher, Jennifer, 'Carpaccio at the Courtauld' in 'The British Art Journal', Winter 2000/01 - pp. 71-74; 2, 2
pp. 71-74
figs. 1 (recto) and 2 (verso) on p. 71
dated c. 1493
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 20
pp. 48, 176
ill. on p. 49 (recto and verso)
dated c. 1490
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 1981-1982
cat. no. 131
ill. on p. 93 (recto)
Drawing - Technique and Purpose, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1981
cat. no. 119
Muraro, Michelangelo, I disegni di Vittore Carpaccio, Florence 1977
pp. 64-65
figs. 20, 21
as in 1966, still erroneously locates the drawing at Wildenstein, New York
Jones, Audrey, Aspects of Renaissance drawings with special reference to Carpaccio, MA thesis, Courtauld Institute of Art 1974
?
Pignatti, T., Vittore Carpaccio, Milan 1972
pp. 9, 14, 19
as formerly Seilern collection
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 82
Shapley, Fern Rusk, Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, London 1968
p. 52 under K1079
notes Muraro's error in locating the drawing at Wildenstein, NY
Perocco, Guido and Manlio Cancogni, L'opera completa del Carpaccio, Milan 1967
under nos. 19 and 38
repeats Muraro's error that drawing belong to Wildenstein, NY
Frerichs, L.C.J., 'Een contracttekening van Girolamo da Santa Croce' in 'Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum', 1966; IV, 1
p. 8 and note 20
fig. 8
Muraro, Michelangelo, Carpaccio, Florence 1966
pp. CLIV, CLVIII
erroneously as being in the Wildenstein Collection, NY when it was actually still owned by Seilern
Pignatti, T., 'Disegni Veneti del Museo di Budapest alla Fondazione Cini' in 'Arte Veneta', 1965; XIX
p. 240
Pignatti, T., Review of Lauts, Carpaccio in 'Master Drawings', 1963; I, 4
pp. 53 and 54n5
Lauts, J., Carpaccio, London 1962
pp. 27, 242 under no. 52, 253 under no. 88, 273 under no. 33
pls. 46 and 47
Perocco, Guido, Tutta la pittura del Carpaccio, Milan 1960
p. 51 under Tav. 68 and p. 68 under Tav. 141
Levey, Michael, 'Count Seilern's Italian pictures and drawings' in 'Burlington Magazine', March 1960 - pp. 122-23; 102, 684
p. 123
Seilern, Count Antoine, Italian paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, SW7, London 1959; II
no. 82
pl. XXXVI (recto and verso)
dated c. 1490
Fiocco, Giuseppe, Carpaccio, Novara 1958
p. 32
Fiocco, Giuseppe, 'Postille al mio Carpaccio' in 'Arte Veneta', 1958; XII
p. 229
pls. 265 and 266
Catalogo della mostra di disegni veneti della collezione Janos Scholz, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, 1957
p. 19 under no. 8
as by Lazzaro Bastiani
Popham, A.E., 'Sir Thomas Phillipps as a Patron of Artists and a Collector of Pictures and Drawings' in 'The Formation of the Phillipps Library from 1841-1872 (Phillipps Studies, IV), Cambridge 1956
App. B, p. 225, no. 1
Popham, A.E., 'Disegni Veneziani acquistati recentemente dal British Museum' in 'Arte Veneta', 1947; I
p. 229
Tietze, Hans and Erica Tietze-Conrat, The drawings of the Venetian Painters in the 15th and 16th centuries, New York, 1944
p. 59 and no. 249 on p. 60
pl. XIII
suggests considering an attribution to Lazzaro Bastiani
Popham, A.E., Catalogue of drawings in the collection formed by Sir Thomas Phillipps, now in the possession of his grandson T. FitzRoy Phillipps Fenwick of Thirlestaine House Cheltenham, London 1935
no. 2 on pp. 4-5
pl. V (verso)
Colvin, S., 'Über einige Zeichnungen des Carpaccio in England' in 'Prussian Jahrbuch', 1897; XVIII
p. 201
Humfrey, Peter, Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Florence, National Gallery of Art Washington, 2022
p 166 ...Less
pp. 52-53
ill. on p. 51 (recto and verso)
entry author: Anne Bloemacher
Whistler, Catherine, Venice and Drawing 1500-1800: Theory, Practice and Collecting, New Haven and London 2017
pp. xvii-xviii
figs. 6 (recto) and 7 (verso) on p. xviii
Mantegna to Matisse - Master Drawings from The Courtauld Gallery, Frick Collection, New York and Courtauld Gallery, London London 2012-2013
cat. no. 6
pp. 56-59
ill. on p. 56 (verso), p. 57 (recto)
dated late 1480s-early 1490s ...More
Boskovitz, Miklós, Italian paintings of the 15th century: a systematic catalogue of the collections of the National Gallery of Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 2003
pp. 190-91
fig. 3 on p. 190 (recto)
entry author: Echols
Fletcher, Jennifer, 'Carpaccio at the Courtauld' in 'The British Art Journal', Winter 2000/01 - pp. 71-74; 2, 2
pp. 71-74
figs. 1 (recto) and 2 (verso) on p. 71
dated c. 1493
Master Drawings from the Courtauld Collections, Courtauld Institute Galleries, London, 1991
cat. no. 20
pp. 48, 176
ill. on p. 49 (recto and verso)
dated c. 1490
The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection A), Courtauld Gallery, London, 1981-1982
cat. no. 131
ill. on p. 93 (recto)
Drawing - Technique and Purpose, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1981
cat. no. 119
Muraro, Michelangelo, I disegni di Vittore Carpaccio, Florence 1977
pp. 64-65
figs. 20, 21
as in 1966, still erroneously locates the drawing at Wildenstein, New York
Jones, Audrey, Aspects of Renaissance drawings with special reference to Carpaccio, MA thesis, Courtauld Institute of Art 1974
?
Pignatti, T., Vittore Carpaccio, Milan 1972
pp. 9, 14, 19
as formerly Seilern collection
Seilern, Count Antoine, Corrigenda and Addenda to the Catalogue of paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, London 1971
no. 82
Shapley, Fern Rusk, Paintings from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, London 1968
p. 52 under K1079
notes Muraro's error in locating the drawing at Wildenstein, NY
Perocco, Guido and Manlio Cancogni, L'opera completa del Carpaccio, Milan 1967
under nos. 19 and 38
repeats Muraro's error that drawing belong to Wildenstein, NY
Frerichs, L.C.J., 'Een contracttekening van Girolamo da Santa Croce' in 'Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum', 1966; IV, 1
p. 8 and note 20
fig. 8
Muraro, Michelangelo, Carpaccio, Florence 1966
pp. CLIV, CLVIII
erroneously as being in the Wildenstein Collection, NY when it was actually still owned by Seilern
Pignatti, T., 'Disegni Veneti del Museo di Budapest alla Fondazione Cini' in 'Arte Veneta', 1965; XIX
p. 240
Pignatti, T., Review of Lauts, Carpaccio in 'Master Drawings', 1963; I, 4
pp. 53 and 54n5
Lauts, J., Carpaccio, London 1962
pp. 27, 242 under no. 52, 253 under no. 88, 273 under no. 33
pls. 46 and 47
Perocco, Guido, Tutta la pittura del Carpaccio, Milan 1960
p. 51 under Tav. 68 and p. 68 under Tav. 141
Levey, Michael, 'Count Seilern's Italian pictures and drawings' in 'Burlington Magazine', March 1960 - pp. 122-23; 102, 684
p. 123
Seilern, Count Antoine, Italian paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, SW7, London 1959; II
no. 82
pl. XXXVI (recto and verso)
dated c. 1490
Fiocco, Giuseppe, Carpaccio, Novara 1958
p. 32
Fiocco, Giuseppe, 'Postille al mio Carpaccio' in 'Arte Veneta', 1958; XII
p. 229
pls. 265 and 266
Catalogo della mostra di disegni veneti della collezione Janos Scholz, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, 1957
p. 19 under no. 8
as by Lazzaro Bastiani
Popham, A.E., 'Sir Thomas Phillipps as a Patron of Artists and a Collector of Pictures and Drawings' in 'The Formation of the Phillipps Library from 1841-1872 (Phillipps Studies, IV), Cambridge 1956
App. B, p. 225, no. 1
Popham, A.E., 'Disegni Veneziani acquistati recentemente dal British Museum' in 'Arte Veneta', 1947; I
p. 229
Tietze, Hans and Erica Tietze-Conrat, The drawings of the Venetian Painters in the 15th and 16th centuries, New York, 1944
p. 59 and no. 249 on p. 60
pl. XIII
suggests considering an attribution to Lazzaro Bastiani
Popham, A.E., Catalogue of drawings in the collection formed by Sir Thomas Phillipps, now in the possession of his grandson T. FitzRoy Phillipps Fenwick of Thirlestaine House Cheltenham, London 1935
no. 2 on pp. 4-5
pl. V (verso)
Colvin, S., 'Über einige Zeichnungen des Carpaccio in England' in 'Prussian Jahrbuch', 1897; XVIII
p. 201
Humfrey, Peter, Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Florence, National Gallery of Art Washington, 2022
p 166 ...Less
Inscriptions
Watermark: none.
Inscription: Recto: lower left, brown ink: covered over with white bodycolour: “3”; lower right edge, graphite, faded and mostly illegible: “[…] Benozzo”. Verso: lower centre edge, brown ink: faded and now illegible, even under microscope and UV.
Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, blindstamped: Sir Thomas Lawrence (L.2445).
Inscription: Recto: lower left, brown ink: covered over with white bodycolour: “3”; lower right edge, graphite, faded and mostly illegible: “[…] Benozzo”. Verso: lower centre edge, brown ink: faded and now illegible, even under microscope and UV.
Collector's mark: Verso: lower left corner, blindstamped: Sir Thomas Lawrence (L.2445).
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