North Italian School Late 16th Century

John Gere;  sale, London, Sotheby's, 21 June 1978, lot 18 (as Giovanni Lanfranco), purchased at the sale

Edinburgh, Edinburgh Festival Exhibition, Italian 17th Century Drawings from British Private Collections, 1972, p. 28, no. 72, p. 103, reproduced (as Giovanni Lanfranco)

Window mounted, sold unframed. The drawing has two small dark spot stains, one above the figure's hands, to the upper right, the other to the lower left, parallel with the figure's knees. There is also another, less prominent mark, to the lower right, on the right edge, above the corner. Another small brown stain, on the figure's left thigh, has been covered with whitening (?), but is still visible on the verso. There are some small creases to the sheet, to the upper left corner, and then lower down on the left side. These, however, seem to be inherent to the paper, rather than being later damage. Overall, there are a few very tiny, faint fox marks, and a few tiny spot stains, but the sheet is actually in good condition and the chalk is still strong. The verso has some faint white horizontal marks across the centre, and also a small area of discolouration at the upper centre.
"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 interesting study was included the Edinburgh Festival exhibition with an attribution to Giovanni Lanfranco, which was suggested at that time by Philip Pouncey.  The verso appears much closer than the recto to the graphic style of Lanfranco.