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Bust of a man wearing a hat seen in three-quarter view

Maker

(artist)
1591-1666

Title

Date of Production

1600 - 1699

Medium

pen and brown ink and brown wash on laid paper with brown ink framing lines partly trimmed away, laid down on a blue paper support and hinged at the top to a historic mount

Dimensions

Height: 21.2 cm
Width: 14.8 cm

Accession Number

D.2015.XX.2

Mode of Acquisition

Lowell Libson, gift, 2015

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

Not currently on display

Keywords

Label Text

Guercino was much admired for his head studies. These are based on close observation of nature, some tipping towards caricature through the exaggeration of a detail of physiognomy. In this drawing of a man, executed around 1635-45, Guercino sketched the figure with a few quick pen lines and, by distributing some broadly applied wash, transformed the untouched paper into areas of light. With a few confident pen strokes he gave the man a wonderfully wiry moustache.

The drawing was once owned by the artist and collector Sir Thomas Lawrence.

Provenance

Sir Thomas Lawrence, London (1769-1830), L.2445; Tomás Harris, London (1908-1964); purchased from him by Sir John Witt, London (1907-1982), L.646a, 7 June 1932 (£1); by descent to Christopher Witt; acquired from him by Lowell Libson Ltd. (London), 2015; Gift from Lowell Libson in honour of Dr Stephanie Buck, 2015

Inscriptions

Watermark: Recto: right centre: circle containing a bird on triple mount (41 cm diameter, 27 cm between chain lines. No exact match found in Piccard, Briquet or Heawood. Similar, though not exact same mark, found on Guercino drawing D.1952.RW.1377).

Inscription: Backing sheet: lower centre, graphite: “184“. Mount (historic), Recto: lower left, graphite, circled: “462“; lower left, graphite: “329“; lower left corner, graphite, erased: “Guercino“; lower left, purple ink: “Guercino“; lower right corner, graphite, Lady Witt's hand (mother of John Witt): “Giovanni Francesco Guercino / 1591-1661 / Coll:Lawrence / Yes – OM." [possibly a reference to having consulted Oswald Magniac for his opinion on the drawing]. Mount (historic), Verso: upper left corner, graphite: “3-23“.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, blindstamped: Sir Thomas Lawrence (L.2445). Backing sheet: lower left, stamped in black: John Clermont Witt (L.646a).

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