- 89
Ludovico Carracci
Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
bidding is closed
Description
- Ludovico Carracci
- Recto: Madonna and ChildVerso: Two figures, a column to the left
- Black chalk, and some traces of red chalk (recto);
red chalk (verso) - 3 7/8 x 3 1/4 inches
Exhibited
With P. and D. Colnaghi, London, Master Drawings, presented by Jean-Luc Baroni, 1988, no. 6, recto and verso reproduced (as Annibale Carracci)
Condition
Window mounted . Scattered foxing scattered on the recto and verso, overall chalk is fresh. Sold in a modern gilded 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.
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
Although this beautiful drawing was previously attributed to Annibale Carracci at the suggestion of Philip Pouncey,1 Babette Bohn, who has seen the drawing in the original, believes it is the work of Ludovico. It can be most closely compared with the Seated Madonna and Child, formerly in the Ellesmere Collection, which is connected to Ludovico's engraving of the Holy Family, datable to 1588.2 In fact, Dr. Bohn suggests that this study represents a slightly earlier stage in the planning of the composition, showing the figures reversed and, as she puts it, a 'somewhat more dynamic solution for the two figures, which is also quite characteristic of Ludovico.' The shape of the head of the Child and the handling of the drapery accord with the Ellesmere drawing, as does the di sotto in sú perspective. The scale and intimacy of this study, which also carries reminiscences of Barocci, make it particularly engaging.
The sketches on the verso are hard to decipher and, with the slight red chalk indications on the recto, suggest the paper had been used for a previous, unrelated work.
1. Exhibited above
2. B. Bohn, Ludovico Carracci and the Art of Drawing, Turnhout 2004, p. 148, no. 40, reproduced