Old Master Drawings

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Lot 58
  • 58

Sebastiano Ricci Belluno 1659 - 1734 Venice

Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
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Description

  • Sebastiano Ricci
  • queen thomyris, having defeated king cyrus, orders that his head be thrown in a vessel full of human blood

  • bears attribution on the old mount: Sebastian Ricci and numbering: No21, and on the backing in red chalk: N112

  • pen and brown ink and wash over black chalk

Exhibited

Rotterdam, Kunsthal, European Master Drawings Unveiled, 2002, p. 213, no. 95, reproduced

Condition

Laid down on the old mount, the drawing is fresh and appears in very 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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Catalogue Note

This quick and spirited study is quite typical of the style of Sebastiano, but it does not appear to be connected with a known painting.  The mount is very similar to those of Anton Maria Zanetti who owned a large number of drawings by Ricci, many of which are still preserved on their original Zanetti mounts.  It can be compared with a number of studies in the album acquired by the Galleria dell' Accademia, Venice, in 1919 and published by Morassi1 and with others at Windsor.2


1. 'Un libro di disegni e due quadri di Sebastiano Ricci', in Cronache d'Arte, 1926, pp. 256-273

2. Anthony Blunt and Edward Croft-Murray, Venetian Drawings of the XVII & XVIII Centuries in the Collection of Her Majesty The Queen at Windsor Castle, London 1957, pp. 45-67