Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Library of the Somasco Convent at Santa Maria della Salute, Venice;
Count Leopoldo Cicognara;
Antonio Canova;
by inheritance to his half-brother, Monsignor Giovanni Battista Sartori-Canova;
Francesco Pesaro;
by whom sold to Col. Edward Cheney, Badger Hall, Shropshire;
by inheritance to his brother-in-law, Col. Alfred Capel-Cure, Blake Hall,
sale, London, Sotheby's, 29 April 1885 (part of lot 1024), to E. Parsons and Sons, London;
With The Savile Gallery, London, Drawings by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, exhib. cat., 1928, no. 37, reproduced;
Duc de Talleyrand, Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt;
The British Rail Pension Fund,
from which acquired by the present owner

Venice, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Disegni veneti di collezioni inglesi, 1980, p. 64, no. 92, reproduced

A. Morassi, Dessins Vénitiens du Dix-huitième Siècle de la Collection du Duc de Talleyrand, Milan 1958, p. 15, no. 16, reproduced, fig. 16

Glued at the four corners on the trimmed original album page. Condition is good, paper, pen and ink and wash, fresh. Two tiny light beige stains towards the top margin above the Virgin. Sold mounted and framed in a modern wooden frame.
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.

Like the previous lot, and also lots 58 and 59, this drawing belongs to Tiepolo's remarkable series of variations on the theme of the Holy Family.  See note to the previous lot for a full account of the series.

This brilliant interpretation of the subject incorporates the figure of the young Baptist, to the extreme right of the composition, partly covered by the ample mantle of the standing figure of the Virgin holding the Child, and blessing the figure of St. Joseph.  The latter is seated on the ground near the cradle, and moves his right hand towards the foot of the Christ Child, while a group of angels overlook this intimate moment.  Two trees trunks complete the composition to the left side. 

Clear indications of a black chalk underdrawing can be seen in this sheet, revealing that Tiepolo has revised some of his initial ideas.  For example, the head of the Christ Child was at first slightly further forward, and inclined to the left, towards St. Joseph.  Just as in the previous lot, Tiepolo’s skilful use of the white paper to create light and space testifies to the artist's incredible talent as a draughtsman, and to his extraordinary ability to suggest depth and volumes.  The standing figure of the Madonna, seen in profile wearing an ample mantle, forms an almost architectural central focus to the composition, and her partly covered face is suggested with just with a very few subtle lines.