Jacob Cats Altona 1741 - 1799 Amsterdam

For more information on Jacob Cat's numbering of his own drawings, see Jane Shoaf Turner, 'Jacob Cats and the Identification of a "Pseudo-Goll van Franckenstein" Numbering System', Master Drawings, XXVIII, no. 3 (Autumn 1990), pp. 323-331.  Turner notes that only about a third or a quarter of Cats' known drawings bear such numbers, and that these are predominantly small-scale studies or free monochrome sketches such as this, rather than the artist's more elaborate and highly-finished works.  She suggests that the numbered drawings may have formed part of some kind of pattern-book, from which clients would select compositions and motifs to be worked up into finished drawings and watercolours.  The numbering system appears to be more or less chronological, allowing an approximate dating of any numbered but undated studes.