Old Master & British Works on Paper

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Lot 28
  • 28

Cesare Dandini

Estimate
4,000 - 6,000 GBP
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Description

  • Cesare Dandini
  • Half-length study of a man, his arms outstretched
  • Red chalk;
    signed with initials in pen and dark brown ink, lower right:  C.D.

Provenance

With C. Mendez;
with Jean François Baroni, Paris and New York, Selection of Old Master Drawings and XIXth Century, 2000, no. 7

Condition

Laid down, unevenly cut on right side of sheet. Small faint stain located at the upper right margin. Otherwise sheet relatively free from staining and red chalk vibrant and strong.
"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."

Catalogue Note

Dynamic and vibrant, this rapid red chalk sketch is a preparatory study for the soldier in the centre of Dandini's 1647 painting of The Conversion of St. Paul, in the church of Santa Maria in Vallombrosa, near Florence (fig. 1).

Sandro Bellesi points out in his monograph on the artist that drawings by Cesare Dandini are rare and very few sheets can be specifically related to existing paintings.  This study is therefore extremely instructive, revealing the artist's working methods when preparing for an important commission.  The handling of red chalk is confident and assured and the foreshortening and sense of movement are well understood.

Dandini spent most of his career in Florence, where he worked for the leading members of the Medici family as well as for other aristocratic Florentine families such as the Corsini.  His artistic output contributed greatly to the development of the Florentine Baroque tradition.

The present sheet is signed with the artist's initials; this signature is found on a number of other drawings by Dandini.2

1. S. Bellesi, Cesare Dandini, Turin 1996, cat. no. XXXV

2. Ibid., pp. 44-47, nos. 37s, 38s, 42s and 44s