Giovanni Battista Piranesi

Winslow and Anna Ames (L.2602a);
Sale, New York, Christie's, 10 January 1996, lot 150

Unframed. a small loss to the lower right corner. Some yellowing of the paper at the upper centre, upper right corner and lower part of left edge. The ink is sunk in parts and has bled into the paper. The image is, however, still strong.
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Probably a study from life, this is the sort of figure that Piranesi used to enliven his compositions in all media.  The figure is drawn in the artist's characteristic, energetic style with a thick pen and strong and broad lines. Andrew Robison proposes a dating for the drawing of 1764-66.  It can be closely compared to a study now in the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Paris, which shows two standing gentlemen, also wearing greatcoats and tricorns, and drawn with just the same pen technique.¹ 

We are grateful to Andrew Robison for kindly confirming the attribution, and informing us that he will include the drawing in his forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Piranesi's drawings.

1. See H. Thomas, Drawings of Giovanni Battista Piranesi, London 1954, p. 60, no. 72, reproduced