Francesco Solimena

From the so-called: 'Solimena Collection,' originating from the collection of Francesco La Marra; 
Terres family, Naples;
Johan Conrad Spengler (his inscription on the verso: Collection de Solimene),
his sale, Copenhagen, 8 October 1839, most probably part of lots 372-396: 24 pacquets de vingt a quarante dessins chacun, principalement avec des sujets d'histoire, par différents artistes italiens peu connus ou anonymes. La majeur partie de ces dessins provient di cab. de Solimene.;
Professor J. Isaacs;
sale, London, Christie's 10 July 1973, lot 105, purchased by Ralph Holland

London, 1975, no. 63;
Newcastle, 1982, no. 76, reproduced pl. XV B;
Naples, Museo di Capodimonte, Civiltà del Seicento a Napoli, 1984, p. 131, no. 3.79, reproduced

R. Roli and G. Sestieri, I Disegni Italiani del Settecento, Scuole Piemontese, Lombarda, Genovese, Bolognese,Toscana, Romana e Napoletana, Treviso 1981, no. 183, reproduced fig. 183

Window mounted. Overall in good condition and chalk fresh. A possible defect of the paper on the lower left corner. Margin at the top very slightly irregular. There is a little surface dirt and a few small light grey and brown spots to the verso, although these are hardly noticeable.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The recto of this fascinating sheet of studies for an Annunciation relates to Solimena's painting in Santa Maria di Donnalbina, Naples (fig.1), dated by Bologna around 1701¹, the last of a series of six paintings which the artist executed for that church between 1699 and 1701.  Bologna stressed the influence of Preti in the handsome figure of the Angel.  From this drawing it can be seen that the figure must have troubled Solimena and in fact, while the figure of the Madonna is quite close to the painted version, the angel has been repeatedly studied in various positions.  Ultimately Solimena brilliantly related the two figures through their gestures.  It is interesting to see that in the drawing the artist has lightly indicated the oblong format of the painting. 

Although this study has been published and exhibited several times in the past, the fascinating inscription on the verso has not previously been transcribed.  It is in the hand of Johan Conrad Spengler (1767-1839), son of Lorenz Spengler (1720-1807), steward of the Danish Royal Kunstkammer, a position Johan inherited at his father's death.  Later he was responsible for the Royal Collection of Paintings, which became the Staten Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.  Johan Conrad Spengler seems to have started his collection of drawings around 1819, and he seems to have assembled a great collection by the time of his death.  We do not know where or when he acquired this group of drawings from the so-called 'Solimena Collection', but the provenance of the latter appears to be linked to the Neapolitan Terres brothers, as discussed by Chris Fisher and Joachim Meyer.²  The Terres brothers were well known book dealers and later also antique dealers who assembled a vast number of drawings, keeping the best for their personal collection (see lot 307), which must have been quite substantial, and focussing on Neapolitan artists.³  They also accumulated about ten thousand drawings, recorded in a stocklist of 1780, which were for sale.  These drawings can be recognised, as here, by the price written generally on the verso, preceded by an abbreviated form of the word 'grana', which was the name of a Neapolitan coin.  Joachim Meyer has also established that the Terres brothers acquired the 'Solimena Collection' from the painter Francesco La Marra (1728-1787).⁴

1.  F. Bologna, Francesco Solimena, Naples 1958, p. 87
2.  C. Fisher and J. Meyer, Neapolitan Drawings, Copenhagen 2006, pp. 24-28 
3.  C. Romalli, 'L'arte come la storia necessita di eroi.  Il disegno a Napoli,' Barocco da Caravaggio a Vanvitelli, exhib. cat., Naples, Museo di Capodimonte, 2009, vol. II, p. 45;
4.  J. Meyer, 'Aggiunte alla Collection de Solimène,' Le Dessin Napolitain, Actes du colloque international (6-8 March 2008), Rome 2010, pp. 281-286; see also C. Fisher and J. Meyer, op. cit., pp. 186-187