Flemish School, Late 16th Century

Unframed. Stained along the left edge. A stain from an old hinge at the lower left corner. Two or three yellow stains at the upper and lower parts of the sheet, visible in the catalogue. Both the pen and ink sonnet on the verso and a brown ink scribble and stain show through slightly on the recto. The catalogue illustration is much paler than the original.
"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."

This apparently unfinished drawing records half of the composition of a print by Hieronymus Cock,¹ one of a seies of five plates with biblical and mythological subjects which he executed around 1555-58.

The lines from a sonnet, inscribed on the verso, are in honour of  Paolo Veronese, echoing the similar poem by a certain 'Pietro Michele Nobile Veneto', quoted by Carlo Ridolfi at the end of his biography of Paolo Veronese, in Le Meravigle dell' Arte.²  This reference emphasises the honour in which Veronese was held by the many Northern artists who worked in Italy at the end of the 16th century.  

1.  Hollstein 12
2.  C. Ridolfi, Le Meraviglie dell' Arte ovvero le Vite degli Illustri Pittori Veneti e dello Stato, 1648