Giovanni Battista Pittoni

Alice Binion, I Disegni di Giambattista Pittoni, Florence 1983, pp. 32-3, reproduced fig. 145

Recto: fine condition; crease in paper at left edge; verso: window mounted, paper thin at three corners, top right corner has bit of old paper attached.
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.

Binion (loc. cit.) describes this as a 'stupendo disegno' and dates it in the 1720s.  She suggests that it could be an early idea for a figure in the Oath of Hannibal, a composition which exists in various versions.¹  She was probably not aware of the verso, as she does not mention it.  The seated figure, seen somewhat from below, could have served as a study for Christ in The Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes, also known in many versions.²

1.  F. Zava Boccazzi, Pittoni, Venice 1979, p. 180, no. 243, reproduced fig. 74
2. ibid., p. 173, no. 215, reproduced fig. 104