Lot 231
  • 231

Cristofano Roncalli, called Il Pomarancio

Estimate
18,000 - 22,000 USD
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Description

  • Cristofano Roncalli, called Il Pomarancio
  • A standing bishop holding a book
  • Red chalk

Provenance

Sale, London, Sotheby's, 18 February 1991, lot 20 (two in the lot)

Condition

Window mounted. The sheet has been made up lower centre about 2 1/2 cm, the lower right and left corners have also been made up. There are three tiny holes in the lower section of the sheet. Some restoration at the upper margin. Some surface dirt at the margins. Purplish staining in his robe, just visible in the catalogue image. Figure still strong. Sold in a carved and 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.

Catalogue Note

This typical study by Roncalli can be closely compared to a red chalk drawing by the artist, St. Gregory the Great in the act of blessing, in the British Museum.1   As here, the figure in the British Museum is intended to be seen from below, like a statue standing on a low plinth, and both sheets share the same monumental sculptural effect.  Pouncey and Gere suggested such a study might have been made in connection with the destroyed decoration of the cupola in Loreto (1609-15).  The lower part of that decoration included standing figures of the Doctors of the Church.

1.  J. A. Gere and Philip Pouncey, Artists working in Rome, c. 1550 to c. 1640, London 1983, vol. I, p. 158, no. 256, reproduced vol. II, pl. 245