Giuseppe Cesari, called Il Cavalier d'Arpino

Window mounted, glued at the top and bottom to another sheet of paper. Surface slightly rubbed, two creases at the top and a paper defect in the middle of the nose. A few tiny stains. Overall colours still fresh.
"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."

We are grateful to Professor Herwarth Röttgen who has confirmed the attribution to Cavalier d'Arpino from a photograph and provided the following information.¹  The present handsome sheet is characteristic of Arpino's style of around 1600.  It is a great and new addition to the understanding of the artist's oeuvre and a revelation about his use of coloured chalks at such an early stage.  The variety of tonalities in the chalks creates a similar effect to pastel, a medium Arpino used in his later years and usually on large sheets of paper (see lot 50).  Röttgen notes close similarities with the head of Antiope in a painting of Jupiter and Antiope of 1594 (whereabouts unknown),² although he prefers the closer connection to the head of Europa in the Rape of Europa of 1603/6 (Borghese Gallery, Rome), one of the artist's most successful compositions.³   It is certainly comparable to the beautifully shaped oval head of the youthful Europa, who wears a similar ornamental headpiece and jewel.

 

1. Letter dated 18 March 2011
2. H. Röttgen, Il Cavalier Giuseppe Cesari d'Arpino. Un grande pittore nello splendore della fama e nell' incostanza della fortuna, Rome 2002, p. 285, no. 55, reproduced 
3. Ibid., p. 365, no. 117, reproduced