Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

Probably Count Algarotti-Corniani, Venice;
Edward Cheney, Badger Hall, Shropshire and by descent to Colonel Alfred Capel Cure;
sale, London, Christie's, 14 July 1914;
E. Parsons and Sons, London

The sheet is hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Pen and ink and wash remain vibrant and fresh. There are some areas of brown/yellow staining, a small circular stain upper left and a larger area located towards the lower right hand side of the sheet. There is a faint horizontal crease towards the lower margin. Overall the figure remains strong and the rest of the sheet in good condition. Sold in a simple gilt frame.
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.

Similar single figure studies by Tiepolo were contained in several albums titled: Sole Figure Vestite. One such a volume is preserved intact in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.¹ Three others were sold at Christie's in 1914, where they were bought by E. Parsons and Sons and dispersed after the First World War. This study is very similar to a sheet in the Victoria and Albert Museum, in which a figure turned to the left with a head-dress with two plumes is holding a folio in his right hand .²

1. G. Knox, Tiepolo Drawings in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London 1960
2. Ibid, p. 69, no. 167, reproduced fig. 167