Open IIIF manifest What is IIIF IIIF viewers

Tree in winter

Maker

(artist)
1472-1517

Title

Tree in winter

Date of Production

(circa) 1504

Medium

pen and brown ink on laid paper, with pinholes at all four corners, inlaid into Gabburri's mount with brown ink and wash borders

Dimensions

Height: 28.7 cm
Width: 21.4 cm

Accession Number

D.1978.PG.84

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

This delicate study of a leafless tree is one of the earliest known European drawings of a tree apparently produced for its own sake, rather than for the background of a religious or mythological scene. Fra Bartolommeo’s delight in nature stemmed from the teachings of Saint Francis - that the beauty of nature should be regarded as evidence of the love of God. A winter tree, suggestive of the promise of rebirth, may have held particular Christian significance.

Provenance

bequeathed by the artist to his fellow Dominican and disciple, Fra Paolino da Pistoia (c. 1490-1527); given by him before his death to nun and artist Suor Plautilla Nelli, Florence (1524-1588) [see P. Marchese, 'Memorie del piu insigni pittori...' 1878-79, p. 167]; bequeathed to her Convent of S. Catherine in Piazza San Marco, Florence; purchased there by Francesco Maria Niccolò Gabburri, Florence (d. 1742), 1725 [see Gronau 1957, p. iii], and bound all 41 drawings in an album in 1730 (as by Andrea del Sarto); purchased from him by William Kent (dealer active c. 1742-62), either around 1730 when in Italy, or with the rest of Gabburri's drawings collection in 1758 in Florence; unidentified English collection, where some of the drawings were copied by Robert Surtees of Mainsforth, County Durham, in 1768 [see Fischer 1990, p. 375]; purchased by a private collector in Southern Ireland, 1925 [Gronau 1957 p. v]; that collector's sale, Sotheby's (London), 20 November 1957, lot 11; purchased there by Colnaghi (London) on behalf of Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978) (£2,100); Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Drawings Gallery Display - Regarding Trees, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 18/06/2016-25/09/2016

About Time, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 24/02/2000-30/05/2000 ...More

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 ...Less

Literature

Mantegna to Cezanne: Master Drawings from the Courtauld, British Museum, London, 1983
cat. no. 10
ill. on p. 25

The Princes Gate Collection - Drawings (Selection B), The Courtauld Gallery, London, 1982
cat. no. 154

Seilern, Count Antoine, Italian paintings and drawings at 56 Princes Gate, London, SW7, London 1959; II
no. 84
pl. XXXVIII
dated 1504-17 ...More

Sotheby's, London, Drawings of landscapes and trees by Fra Bartolommeo, 20 November 1957
lot 11
pl. 20

Jeudwine, W.R., 'Fine works on the market: a volume of landscape drawings by Fra Bartolommeo' in 'Apollo', Nov. 1957 - pp. 132-35; 66
p. 135
in file for D.1978.PG.83 ...Less

Inscriptions

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Support (historic), Verso: lower right (now hidden under hinge), graphite: "1".

Collector's mark: none.

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.

____________________________

Buy a print from our collection