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Bartolomeo Passarotti
Description
- Bartolomeo Passarotti
- Study of seated woman sleeping
- Pen and brown ink;
bears illegible, obscured inscription in brown ink, verso
Provenance
George Guy, 4th Earl of Warwick (L.2600) (by inheritance from the above, his uncle)
John Postle Heseltine (L.1507),
Henry Oppenheimer,
sale, London, Christie's, 10-14 July 1936, lot 132;
Dr. Michel Gaud,
his sale, Monaco, Sotheby's, 20 June 1987, lot 34,
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman
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
Passarotti had first worked in Rome in 1550-1555, allying himself with the famous architect Jacopo Vignola (1507-1573). On the death of Pope Giulio III, however, he returned to Bologna, and by 1560 he had established his own bottega there, but he seems to have returned to work in Rome at various points during the later 1550s and thereafter. There is, though, little in the way of documentation of his movements, or works that can be securely linked with the artist’s Roman experiences, which makes it very difficult to assess the real impact of the Eternal City on his style. none the less, it seems that his work as an engraver – which played a significant part in his artistic life – originates from his time in Rome in the late 1550s. Twenty etchings by Passarotti are known, and all are inspired by Roman models – chiefly Taddeo Zuccari, but also Francesco Salviati, Pirro Ligorio, Luzio Romano and other artist working in this same milieu. The subtlety and monumentality of the present sheet surely bear witness to these Roman experiences and influences, which resulted in a slightly freer and less pedantic ductus than is evident in some earlier works.
The early biographer Malvasia insisted on Passarotti’s skill both as a draughtsman and as an engraver, and highlighted the fame and admiration he achieved with collectors, fame that must have been based to a considerable extent on works such as the present, elaborate and finished drawing, surely made as an independent work of art in its own right.