Ventura Salimbeni

The drawing has some faint foxing throughout and some pale surface dirt, which is visible in the catalogue illustration. There are some small abraded spots on St. Claire's sleeve and two small restored losses in the left sheet edges (in the upper corner and the center). There are a few small filled-in spots, also in the edges and some workshop soiling (tiny paint spots and some folds) throughout. The drawing is laid down on a thin sheet. The drawing is sold in an elaborate wood and decorated frame in the form of an altapiece.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This very beautiful and finished drawing cannot be related to a surviving painting.  A connected sheet of black chalk studies is, however, in the Louvre (fig. 1):  it shows St. Clare with her two companions and the fallen soldier in the left foreground.  P.A. Riedl dates the Paris drawing after 1600.¹

St. Clare never left her convent at Assisi.  Twice it was beseiged by the army of Emperor Frederick II, which included Saracen soldiers.  St. Clare, although ill, was taken to the ramparts; armed only with a monstrance, she put the soldiers to flight.

1. F. Viatte,  Musée du Louvre....Dessins Toscans XVI-XVIII Siècles, Paris 1988, p. 203, no. 401, reproduced