GIOVANNI FRANCESCO BARBIERI, CALLED GUERCINO | AN OLD MAN WITH A BEARD, BUST LENGTH

While it has not been possible to connect this striking and pensive study of a bearded old man with a particular commission, it could be preparatory for a number of the saints and evangelists who feature throughout Guercino's painted oeuvre.

Stylistically, from the strong and bold use of pen and ink and wash, this drawing would appear to date from the 1620s. Guercino's mastery of line and the way in which he alternates between shorter and longer strokes are clearly evident in the present drawing.  The figure's drapery is handled with brevity, but with utter understanding of how the folds crease around the elbows. In contrast, the man's hair and beard are created with multiple pen and ink lines, often overlapping one another, giving a believable and tangible texture to these particular features. A comparable drawing, in terms of handling, is a Seated figure of St. Jerome, in the Courtauld Institute, which is a preparatory study for Guercino's altarpiece of the Assumption of the Virgin with St Peter as Pope and St Jerome, executed in 1626 for the Cathedral at Reggio Emilia.¹

1. N. Turner & C. Plazzotta, Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, London 1991, p. 83, no. 56, reproduced p. 84, fig. 10