RUTILIO MANETTI | Saint Paul preaching at Athens

With P. & D. Colnaghi and Co., London, An exhibition of Old Master Drawings, June-July 1984, no. 8, reproduced

Laid down. the right edge slightly trimmed. Small losses around the edges and a trace of an old fold to the left bottom corner. Overall fresh and in quite good condition. Sold in an old carved and gilded late 18th century frame.
"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."

Quite a number of works by Rutilio Manetti in oil on paper have survived, and he seems to have favoured this technique in making modelli or bozzetti for his painted compositions.  These oil on paper studies are, like the present example, strongly reminiscent of the style of Francesco Vanni (1563-1610) and Ventura Salimbeni (1568- 1613), with the latter of whom Manetti collaborated especially closely.  Painted with fluid and luminous brush strokes, this study can be associated stylistically with other works by the artist, and a particularly close comparison can be drawn with the oil on paper attributed to Manetti by Philip Pouncey, St. Gerard in ecstasy assisting a mass, in the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle.¹  The Windsor drawing is preparatory for a documented fresco by the artist, datable to circa 1618. From 1620, or just before, Manetti's style evolves in a slightly different direction, showing the influences of Bolognese and Roman sources, and a debt to the art of Guercino and Caravaggio.

^1. Windsor Castle, Royal Collection, inv. no. 3498; A. Blunt in E. Schilling, German Drawings at Windsor Castle and Supplements to the catalogues of the Italian and French Drawings, London and New York, 1971, p. 95, no. 280; Rutilio Manetti, exhib. cat., Siena, Palazzo Pubblico, 1978, p. 140, no. 77, reproduced