Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Inscribed, left: Morillo, and bears numbering, No 147, lower right

Possibly Mr. Mayor, London,
his, sale, Paris, 6 March 1843, lot 57;
sale, Paris, Christie's, 23 March 2006, lot 232

M. Mena Marqués, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682): dibujos: catálogo razonado, Santander 2013, pp. 180-182, no. 23, reproduced, p. 181

Laid down on a sheet of paper which has in turn been laid down on an old mount. There is a loss to the upper right corner and an old repaired tear to the lower right corner. There is some minor foxing and areas of surface dirt, particularly to the lower left corner. There is some slight buckling to the sheet. The medium itself remains predominantly fresh throughout.
"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."

This intimate and highly sensitive drawing, executed by Murillo in a combination of golden brown ink, brown wash and red and black chalk, was unpublished prior to its emergence on the French art market in 2006. It has been dated to circa 1656-58 by Manuela Mena Marqués, who draws attention to the drawing’s undoubted quality as well as its technical, stylistic and compositional similarities with other works by the artist, most notably a later drawing, also depicting the Virgin and Child, now in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.¹  Aside from the close compositional comparisons to be drawn between these two drawings, they also, most intriguingly, both share the same old attribution, distinctively written - Morillo - suggesting that they were, at some point, in the same collection.

^1. Mena Marqués, op. cit., pp. 394-397, no. 77, reproduced