Lot 61
  • 61

Carlo Maratta

Estimate
7,000 - 9,000 USD
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Description

  • Carlo Maratta
  • studies for a figure of christ: head, torso and hand
  • Red chalk, heightened with white chalk, on blue paper;
    bears old attribution in pen and brown ink: Carlo Maratti

Condition

Paper very discolored to brown, but blue visible at edges, where old mount must have been. Water stain top right and down parallel to right edge, other stains and losses- ie top edge left of center. Corners damaged from old glue. However, chalk still strong and legible.
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.

Catalogue Note

Stella Rudolph, in a letter to the present owner, has identified this as a sheet of studies preparatory for the figure of Christ in Maratta's important altarpiece in San Carlo al Corso, Rome (fig. 1).  The painting was commissioned by Cardinal Luigi Alessandro Omodei for the high altar of the church of the Lombard community in Rome.  It shows their patron saints, Sebastian, Ambrose and Carlo Borromeo, presented to Christ by the Virgin.  It was painted in 1685-90, at the height of Maratta's career, and, according to Bellori, was immediately acclaimed as a masterpiece.  A modello for the painting, with small differences in the composition, is still in the collection of the Arciconfraternita of the church, and related drawings are in various museum collections, including Windsor and Düsseldorf.  Prof. Rudolph has provided a full and interesting account of the commission and the related works in her catalogue entry for the modello.1

These studies are totally characteristic of Maratta, both in conception and execution.  The red chalk is handled with subtlety and strength, the head of Christ is elegant and sympathetic, and the careful study of the torso reflects his attention to the preparation of his compositions.  Prof. Rudolph will include this drawing in her forthcoming monograph on Maratta.

1.  S. Rudolph, in L'Idea del Bello, exhib. cat., Rome, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, 2000, vol. II, p. 472-3, no. 18, reproduced