Giovanni David

Unframed. Laid down. The paper has yellowed slightly at the edges, and there is a small tear at the centre of the right edge. Some small dark ink stains in a few areas, and some light brown spot stains at the upper left corner. Otherwise the condition is fine.
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.

Giovanni David was supported thoughout his career by the Genoese diplomat Giacomo Durazzo, in exchange for his work.  His patron's broad interests enabled David to travel extensively, to England, Holland and France, and also to work in a wide variety of media: not just drawings, but prints, stage designs, wax sculptures and paintings in oil and fresco.  Durazzo also ensured that David studied in the early 1770s under Domenico Corvi in Rome, where he went on to receive a prize in painting at the Accademia di San Luca in 1775.¹

Classical subjects such as this figure prominently in David's work, although this sheet does not appear to be preparatory for a known painting or engraving.  The drawing's highly finished style perhaps places it in the later part of the artist's career, being comparable with a sheet depicting the Temptation of Saint Agnes in the Bibliothèque, Rouen which is preparatory for the painting of the same subject in the church of S. Maria del Carmine, Genoa, dating from circa 1789.²

1. M. Newcome, 'Drawings by Giovanni David' in Master Drawings, 1993, vol. 31, no. 4, p. 469

2. Ibid., p. 479, figs. 11-12