Andrea Boscoli

Nathaniel Hone (L.2793);
William Armistead,
by descent to Gordon Davies, Esq.,
his sale and others, London, Christie's, 6 July 1982, lot 11, purchased by Ralph Holland

Laid down. Bottom left corner missing, top left stained and with small hole. Some surface wear. Some stains on left edge.
"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."

This captivating study for a cartouche, possibly preparatory for an engraved frontispiece, is a rarity in the corpus of drawings by this much admired Florentine draftsman.  It bears a traditional attribution to Boscoli and is entirely characteristic of this artist's original style.  His studies, either in chalks, or in pen and ink with abundant use of dark brown wash, are marked by their geometric forms and dramatic and sculptural use of chiaroscuro.  Boscoli's interest in architecture and ornamental details is quite clear in the elaborate and elegant surrounding of this cartouche.  Baldinucci mentions Boscoli's collaboration in his youth with Bernardo Buontalenti and Santi di Tito in the preparation of ephemeral decorations, so much a feature of the Granducal court.¹  This sheet witnesses the debt of Boscoli to Buotalenti's inventive imagination and refinement in the execution of sculptural details, and can be compared with some of the few architectural studies which have survived², for instance a design for a wall decoration in the Ashmolean Museum Oxford.³  Here a large rectangular empty space is surrounded by a similarly elaborate frame, flanked by two satyrs.  Boscoli often introduced figure studies into his architectural designs, as in the present drawing, where two putti appear on either side of the cartouche, and two sphinxs above.

This drawing was extracted, at the time of the Christie's sale, from an album which had belonged to William Armistead.  Some of the other sheets in the album, but not this one, came from the collection of William Roscoe (1753-1831), the distinguished Liverpool collector, and it can be assumed that Armistead knew Roscoe and bought drawings from him.

1. N. Bastogi, Andrea Boscoli, Florence 2008, p. 358
2. Ibid., pp. 358-360, nos. 541-555, some reproduced
3. Inv. no. P.128; ibid., no. 552