Circle of Nicolas Poussin

Purchased from Hans Calmann, 1954

London, Wildenstein Gallery, Artists in 17th Century Rome, 1955, no. 60;
London, Royal Academy, The Paul Oppé Collection, 1958, no. 338;
Ottawa, The National Gallery of Canada, Exhibition of Works from the Paul Oppé Collection, 1961, no. 133;
Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland, Poussin. Sacraments and Bacchanals, 1981, no. 61;
Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, A Loan Exhibition of Drawings by Poussin, 1990, no. 36 in each case as Poussin)

S. Somers Rinehart, Poussin et la Famille dal Pozzo, Paris 1960, I, p. 26, 30, fig. 6 (as Poussin);
W. Friedlaender, Nicolas Poussin, London 1966, p. 17, fig. 3 (as Poussin);
D. Wild, Charles Mellin ou Nicolas Poussin II, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1967, LXIX, p. 36-7, no. 88 (as attributed to Mellin);
K. Badt, Die kunst des Nicolas Poussin, I, Cologne 1969, p. 254 (as Poussin);
A. Blunt, The Drawings of Nicolas Poussin, London 1974, V, p. 29, no. 303, pl. 245 (as Poussin, and dated to the 1640s);
D. Wild, Nicolas Poussin, I, Zurich 1980, p. 195 and note 19 (as Poussin);
P. Rosenberg, review of Ashmolean exhibition, The Burlington Magazine, 1991, CXXXIII, p. 211 (as not by Poussin);
P. Rosenberg, Nicolas Poussin, Catalogue Raisonée des Dessins, II, Milan 1994, p. 914, no. R525, (as not by Poussin) 

Laid down around the edges. Crease and ridges all around the margins. Staining light brown at the top margin and along the right edge and lower right corner. A dark brown stain on the bottom margin from the center to the left. Traces of folds to the tip of the lower corners. Two small losses in the center vertically, and two pin point holes at the bottom also in the center.
"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 composition of this drawing derives from the reliefs on Trajan's Column, as recorded in an engraving from Chacón’s Historia utriusque belli Dacici a Traiano Caesare gesti, ex simulachris quae in columna eiusdem Romae visuntur collecta…, Rome 1576 (pl. 19).  Chacón’s Historia is the first publication to include a full series of illustrations of the sculpted reliefs on the famous triumphal column, erected by the Roman senate in AD 113 to celebrate the victories of the Emperor Trajan over the Dacians.  Alfonso Chacón, a Spanish Dominican scholar in Rome, dedicated his book to King Philip II of Spain.  The epic narrative of Trajan's column, which includes some 2,500 figures, obviously attracted and stimulated the intellectual curiosity of many artists.  A veritable encyclopaedia of antiquarian details, the reliefs constitute a unique and vital repository of reliable images and narrative compositions, representing every aspect of Roman military life.