Hans Johann Rottenhammer the Elder

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 14 December 1952, lot 36, to Paul Ayshford Methuen, 4^th Lord Methuen, R.A., F.S.A. (1886-1974), Corsham Court, Wiltshire;
by inheritance, until sold London, Sotheby's, 3 July 1996, lot 23, where bought by the present owner

Hans Rottenhammer, begehrt - vergessen - neu entdeckt, exhib. cat., Schloss Brake, Weserrenaissance-Museum, and Prague, Nationalgalerie, 2008-9, pp. 96, reproduced fig. 145

Laid down on an old mount. There are some light brown lines at each margin, indicating that they were once covered by another mount which has slightly stained the paper (visible in the catalogue illustration). Overall the drawing is in good condition and appears slightly stronger than the photograph.
"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."

The subject of Bacchus seated on a wine barrel derives ultimately from antique prototypes, but was also popular with Italian artists from Mantegna onwards.  Notable examples produced in the period around 1600 include Annibale Carracci's painting in the Cleveland Museum of Art.  Rottenhammer also made another drawing of the subject, now in Amsterdam,¹ although in that case Bacchus is shown drinking directly from the neck of a flask, rather than in the more decorous pose seen here, holding a glass in his hand.  In both his drawings of the subject, Rottenhammer shows Bacchus not as a child - as he was commonly shown in Italian art - but as a youth, thereby removing from his compositions one of the possible moralising interpretations.

1. Rijksprentenkabinet, Inv. no. A 4557. Black chalk, heightened with white, on blue paper. See exhib. cat., op. cit., 208-9, pp. 95-6, cat. 2.