Lot 119
  • 119

Luca Cambiaso

Estimate
14,000 - 18,000 USD
bidding is closed

Description

  • Luca Cambiaso
  • the mystic marriage of saint catherine
  • Pen and brown ink and wash over traces of black chalk

Provenance

J.Pz. Zoomer (L.1511);
H.W. Campe (L.1391)

Condition

Generally good condition, a tiny hole in the landscape to the left, just below the first mountain, repaired. A tiny beige stain towards the top near the curtain, not very visible, and really just a little surface dirt. The drawing is fresh and ink and the wash is in good condition.
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.

Catalogue Note

Stylistically the present sheet appears quite close to the pen and wash study for Saint Benedict Enthroned, formerly in the Suida-Manning Collection and now in the Blanton Museum of Art, Austin, Texas, which is similar in size and media.1  That drawing was made in connection with the commission that Cambiaso received from Luca Spinola in 1562, to decorate his family's chapel in Santa Caterina dei Monaci Regolari di San Benedetto. The present drawing may also date from the same period. 

Cambiaso painted The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine on more than one occasion, but the composition seen here does not seem to relate closely to any of the known paintings. Another version of the drawing, much more schematic, without brown wash, and possibly a studio work, is in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Mary Newcome has confirmed the attribution of the present drawing to Luca Cambiaso.

1. See J. Bober, Luca Cambiaso, 1527-1585, exhibition catalogue, Austin, Texas, Blanton Museum of Art, and Genoa, Palazzo Ducale, 2007, p. 286, no. 38 reproduced