Venetian School, 16th Century

Sir Peter Lely (L.2092);
Jonathan Richardson Sr. (L.2184);
John Bouverie (L.325);
Arthur Feldmann, Brno, by whom offered for sale, Lucerne, Gilhofer & Ranschburg, 28 June 1934, lot 304 (as School of Titian), unsold;
looted by the Gestapo¹;
sale, Vienna, Dorotheum, 14-22 March 1989, lot 855 (as Bolognese School, circa 1600), purchased by the Albertina;
restituted to the heirs of Arthur Feldmann in 2008

L. Frölich-Bum, 'Studien zur handzeichnungen der italienischen Renaissance', Jahrbuch der kunsthistorischen Sammlungen, Neue Folge, vol. 2, Vienna 1928, p. 195, fig. 264 (as Savoldo);
W. Suida, Tizian, Zürich/Leipzig 1933, p. 162, reproduced pl. CXXIIa (as Titian);
H. Tietze and E. Tietze-Conrat, The Drawings of the Venetian Painters in the 15th and 16th centuries, New York 1944, p. 313, no. A 1884 (as hardly Venetian, and with no resemblance to Savoldo or Titian)

This drawing was once two continuous pages of a sketchbook. In the middle the pages were stitched. Tiny losses along the middle and two folds, one of which appears rather darker having collected dirt when folded. There are also tiny losses at the top and at the bottom edges. Some surface dirt, particularly towards the margins. Some light gray wash on the middle to the right and the top of the left corner is missing. The brown ink still fresh.
"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."

The Venetian landscape tradition was founded on the importance that Titian and his studio placed on the depiction of nature, and the wide dissemination of prints of the subject.  Not only was the close observation of nature valued, but also the creation of imaginative landscapes, which prompted a mixture of reality and fantasy in part influenced by images coming from the North.  It is not surprising that the present drawing was in the past associated with Titian and his School. 

Various other suggestions have at times been made regarding the origins of this extremely appealing drawing, but it does in the end seem closest to the Venetian tradition, and to date from the middle of the 16^th century, rather than the end, as was suggested when it was sold in 1989. The fact that it appears to have been drawn across the double-page spread of an open sketchbook naturally raises the question of whether it might record a real view, but our understanding of the artistic traditions of the period suggest it probably was an imaginary invention.

Although the attribution of this drawing remains obscure, its quality is readily apparent, and it is no surprise to see the list of illustrious collections through which it has passed.

1.  For the full story of the Feldmann Collection, see sale catalogue, New York, Sotheby's, 28 January 2009, preface to lots 56-62. See also lots 109, 141 and 142 below