Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano

Sale, London, Sotheby's, Drawings by Baldassare Franceschini, 3 July 1980, lot 83, withdrawn (catalogue by Charles McCorquodale);
with Katrin Bellinger, Munich (Die Zeichnung in Florenz 1500-1650, 1991, no. 35), from whom bought by the present owner

Charles McCorquodale, 'Some Unpublished Works by Baldassare Franceschini, il Volterrano,' Paradigma, 5, 1983, p. 66, pl. 45

Unframed. Generally in good condition. At the bottom of the sheet, some light grey-brown scattered spots, another at the upper margin. Surface dirt, particularly at the upper centre of the drawing, where there is a light grey-green stain, visible in the catalogue illustration. The paper is somewhat rough. The drawing is much stronger and warmer than the catalogue photograph. Some of the stains are more visible on the verso, with glue around all the edges which shows that it was previously mounted on a backing sheet, most probably in the 17th Century.
"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."

After the Sotheby's sale, Charles McCorquodale was able to associate this drawing with another drapery study by Volterrano in the National Gallery of Scotland which is preparatory for the figure of Chastity in his decorations of the Orlandini Chapel in S. Maria Maggiore, Florence.¹  The present study does not, however, relate precisely to that commission.  Volterrano's studies of drapery are frequently more summary than this, which in its careful recording of the effects of light is reminiscent of drawings by earlier Florentine artists, such as Leonardo, who made studies after models made from cloth soaked in plaster.

The hands on the verso cannot be related to a specific work but appear to be for a female figure holding a book.  They are close to studies of hands which were in another lot (87) in the 1980 Sotheby's sale.

1. Inv. no. D5058; C. McCorquodale, op. cit., p. 62