Old Master & British Drawings Sale

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Lot 50
  • 50

Giuseppe Cesari, called Il Cavalier d'Arpino

Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
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Description

  • Giuseppe Cesari, called Il Cavalier d'Arpino
  • head of a young boy

  • Coloured chalks, heightened with white chalk, on beige washed paper, laid down on canvas;
    bears old attributions in black chalk bottom right: Pietro da Cortona, and possibly Barocchi. On the verso of the canvas, bears black chalk inv. no.: ....B 158, and attribution: Cortona

Condition

Laid down on canvas. Bottom corners slightly damaged, to the right, tip missing and to the left small tears and tiny losses. It appears to have been pined to the walls as pin holes are visible in three corners and at the top and bottom centre. Overall the chalk is in good condition. There is an indication of a large water stain at the bottom of the sheet but not strongly evident. There is surface dirt around the margins.
"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."

Catalogue Note

We are grateful to Herwarth Röttgen for confirming, from a photograph, the attribution to Cavalier d'Arpino and for providing the following information.  He suggests a late dating of around 1635-40, when Arpino was frequently using coloured chalks and pastels.  The drawing can be closely compared with two Raphaelesque studies of young men, formerly in the collection of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and now in the Graphische Sammlung, Weimar.1  In particular he notes the resemblance between that of the young man looking to the left and the present one, which could be a study for the same figure.  Professor Röttgen stresses Arpino's debt to Raphael in the present drawing, which is strongly felt in the pose of the young man, looking out at the viewer with his androgynous facial features.  Although the head is idealised, he does not exclude the possibility that it could be a real portrait. 

1. H. Röttgen,  Il Cavalier Giuseppe Cesari d'Arpino. Un grande pittore nello splendore della fama e nell' incostanza della fortuna, Rome 2002, p. 195, reproduced figs. 106-107