Abraham Bloemaert

Sale, London, Christie's, 28 March 1972, lot 5;
With Herman Shickman, New York

J. Bolten, Abraham Bloemaert c.1565-1651, The Drawings, Leiden 2007, 288, no. 857 (verso), reproduced vol. II, fig. 857 and p. 304, no. 914 (recto), reproduced vol. II, fig. 914

Window mounted on a sheet of modern acid free paper. The sheet has very fractionally discoloured and there are some minor abrasions to the extremities and a light brown stain to the lower right quarter, showing through from the verso and two small brown stains to the lower left corner. The extremities of the verso show the remains of an old album page that the sheet would have previously been laid down to. The red chalk medium remains in very fresh condition and the white heightening is still evident, both recto and verso. The image remains very strong throughout this impressive sheet. Sold in a 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.

In his comprehensive catalogue of Bloemaert's drawing, Jaap Bolten suggests that the kneeling Monk depicted on the recto of the present sheet may well have been produced at the same modelling session as three stylistically comparable studies, all of which depict almost identical subject matter.¹ The rich application of red chalk, coupled with subtle touches of white heightening, is a graphic technique that Bloemaert particularly excelled in and the intriguing verso, which depicts a number of leg studies is, much like the recto, executed in this highly characteristic combination of media. Though Bolten suggests that the leg studies depicted in the present work were possibly studies for compositions like The Mocking of Christ,² the cross legged pose of the legs found in the Haverkamp-Begemann sheet, as well as the extended foot, located on the upper right edge of the sheet, all suggest that these studies more likely relate to a Crucifixion. Indeed a close comparison can be drawn between the pose of the central pair of legs in the present work and those found in Bloemaert's Angels catching in cups the blood of the Crucified Christ,³ though Bolten dates this impressive sheet some 15 to 20 years earlier than the Haverkamp-Begemann drawing.

^1. Bolten, op.cit., p. 303, under no. 913
^2. Ibid., p. 74, no. 166, reproduced vol. II, fig. 166
^3. Ibid., p. 75, no. 168, reproduced vol. II, fig. 168