Emilian School late Sixteenth Century

Sagredo Borghese Collection: bears inscription on the mount: S.L. N^o 2, and verso: S.L. N^o 28.;
Michel Gaud;
his sale, Monaco, Sotheby's, 20 June 1987, lot 87 (as Niccolò Martinelli, called il Trometta); acquired at the sale

Gainesville, et al., 1991-93, no. 15 (as Trometta)

Laid down on the Sangredo Borghese album page and laid down on another sheet of paper. Overall condition is good. A tear and little thinning on the margin at the center to the left running from the margin for a few centimeters. Color of the catalogue illustration is too yellow, more blue less green. Some surface dirt.
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.

This finished compositional study bears an old attribution to the school of the Cremonese artist Antonio Campi.  More recently, it has been associated with the work of one of the most gifted artists influenced by the style of Taddeo Zuccaro: Niccolò Martinelli, called il Trometta.  The media in which this drawing is executed -- pen and ink and wash heightened with white, on blue-green paper -- is reminiscent of the graphic work of Trometta, but the style is quite different.  The accomplished composition, the rendering of the landscape background, and the style in general all point to this being the work of an artist active in Emilia Romagna towards the end of the sixteenth century, more specifically, one who was aware of the work of Denijs Calvaert (1540-1619).