- 61
Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino
Description
- Francesco Barbieri, called Il Guercino
- A seated female nude, possibly a study for a Susannah
- Red chalk and stumping and red wash
Condition
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
As a relatively finished and developed drawing it is not dissimilar in concept to the British Museum’s red chalk study of Cleopatra.2 That drawing is, however, more obviously refined in its application of chalk and the looser, sketchier elements within our drawing are more comparable with a study for The Visitation, at Windsor.3 A parallel can also be drawn in the treatment of our young woman’s face with the delicate use of stumping and the similar rendering of the Madonna’s face in this Windsor drawing.
The pose does not correspond exactly to that seen in any of Guercino's extant paintings of Susannah and the Elders but is perhaps closest to the version in the National Gallery, Parma.4 The later dating of that painting does not, however, correlate with the stylistic dating of the present study and therefore no definite connection can be made. Guercino treated the subject of Susannah and the Elders on a number of occasions; this striking and bold depiction of Susannah may be for a lost composition.
1. Sale, London, Sotheby's, 6 July 2010, lot 118
2. N. Turner and C. Plazzotta, Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, London 1991, cat. no. 120, reproduced, pl. 19 (BM inv. no. 1895-9-15-709)
3. Ibid., cat no. 90, reproduced fig. 90
4. L. Salerno, I Dipinti del Guercino, Rome 1988, p. 337, no. 267, reproduced