Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano

Sale, Sotheby's London, Drawings by Baldassare Franceschini, called Il Volterrano, July 3, 1980, lot 15b
Thomas Williams Fine Art, Ltd., London
Acquired from the above, 1994

Paper discolored across most of the surface, chalk in reasonably good condition.
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.

Charles McCorquodale, in his catalogue of the Sotheby's sale in 1980, identified this, and the other study in that lot, as preparatory studies for the hands of the figure personifying The New Law, to the left of the window above the altar in the Orlandini Chapel, S. Maria Maggiore, Florence. The figure holds the Gospels in her left hand, as in the present study, and pours water from a jug with her right. Other drawings for the commission are in the Louvre, the Uffizi, the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, and the Metropolitan Museum, but these were the only ones known to McCorquodale for the lunettes above the altar.  The decoration of the chapel is dated to 1642.