Agostino Carracci

William Young Ottley;
Sir Thomas Lawrence (L.2445);
Samuel Woodburn, from whom bought by
Lord Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere (L.2710b), by descent to the 5th Earl of Ellesmere, 6th Duke of Sutherland,
his sale, London, Sotheby's, The Ellesmere Collection, 11 July 1972, lot 26, bought by Thomas Agnew & Sons, Ltd., London;
Denys Sutton, London,
by inheritance to the present owner

London, Lawrence Gallery, Sixth Exhibition, A Catalogue of One Hundred Original Drawings by Lodovico, Agostino and Annibale Carracci, collected by Sir Thomas Lawrence..., 1836, no. 82 (as Annibale Carracci);
Bologna, Palazzo dell'Archiginnasio, Mostra dei Carracci, Disegni, 1956, no. 77, reproduced pl. 38 (as Agostino);
Newcastle upon Tyne, The Hatton Gallery, The Carracci, Drawings and Paintings, 1961, no. 28 (as Agostino)

W.Y. Ottley, The Italian School of Design, 1823, p. 66 (as Annibale);
Catalogue of the Ellesmere Collection of Drawings at Bridgewater House, London, 1898, no. 86 (as Annibale);
R. Wittkower, The Drawings of the Carracci...at Windsor Castle, London 1952, p. 123, in note to Agostino's Caricatures, as lost;
P.A. Tomory, The Ellesmere Collection, Leicester Museum, 1954, no. 33, reproduced pl. IX (as Agostino)

The sheet is a little yellowed and rather fragile: the ink has sunk in various parts and has corroded the paper in some areas. The edges of the sheet are uneven and have been reinforced on the verso with old strips of paper. Some small tears to the outer edges, and some scattered foxing on the verso. The images, however, are still strong.
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.

This is completely characteristic of Agostino's style, both in the penwork and the treatment of the figures.  Although some of the heads appear to be caricatures, several are likely to be portraits.  The female figures on the verso, standing above a decapitated man, may be for a composition of Salome and St. John the Baptist.  Wittkower mentions this drawing in his discussion of the group of Agostino's caricatures at Windsor (see Literature).  Tomory suggested dating the drawing 1594-7, whereas Mahon placed it somewhat earlier, 1590-94, but it is likely that Agostino made sketches of this type throughout his career.