Luca Giordano, called Fa Presto

Hinge mounted. The four edges are somewhat uneven with small nicks and creases throughout. There is an old vertical crease to the right edge and a further crease to the lower centre, running to the left foot of Christ. There is an old pin prick hole to the upper centre and some light staining to the sheet's extremities, including some small black spots to the upper left corner. The red chalk medium remains very strong throughout this impressive sheet.
"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 drawing is related to one of Giordano's depictions of The Raising of Lazarus (Fig. 1), dated by Ferrari and Scavizzi to 1684-85,¹ and now in the Fundación Santamarca, Madrid.  The figure of Christ and the man standing behind him correspond very closely to their respective figures in the aforementioned painting, though the young boy at the lower left of the drawing seems to have been left out, suggesting that the present work is preparatory, rather than a ricordo of the composition, a technique that Giordano is also known to have employed.²

This drawing is highly characteristic of a very attractive aspect of Giordano's draughtsmanship.  The sheets are often tinted red on the recto but not on the verso, on which there are often less finished sketches. The study of the head of a man on the back of this page does not seem to be connected to a known work.

^1. See O. Ferrari and G. Scavizzi, Luca Giordano, L'opera completa, Naples 1992, vol. I, p. 310, under no. A351

^2. See sale, New York, Sotheby's, 23 January 2008, lot 65