Attributed to Bartolomeo Passarotti

Pen and brown ink and wash, heightened with white, over traces of black stone

John MacGowan, Edinburgh (L.1496)
Dr. Michel Gaud
Sold: Sotheby's, Monaco, June 20, 1987, lot 39
Acquired at the above sale by A. Alfred Taubman

Laid down on an 18th-century backing. Some minor losses, cracks and abrasions, particularly at edges. Some oxidization of the heightening, particularly in the bottom quarter of the sheet. Penwork, and image as a whole, generally strong. Sold in a plaster and gilt frame.
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.

This original and compelling preparatory study for a Resurrection has a strong Northern quality; though Passarotti did turn for inspiration to his Italian predecessors and contemporaries, he was also greatly influenced by Northern artists working in Italy.  Particularly significant in this context was the Flemish painter Denys Calvaert (1540-1619), who left Rome in the 1570s to set up a workshop in Bologna, in which many celebrated names studied and learned their craft, including Guido Reni and Domenichino. The establishment of Calvaert’s workshop in Bologna meant that Passarotti was exposed to Northern compositions, in particular via prints created and made accessible by Calvaert and his atelier, or by the other trans-alpine artists who journeyed to Italy in the 16th century.

The drawing does not directly relate to a known painting by Passarotti, but it is clearly a 'working' drawing, as is evident from the black chalk pentimenti around the figure of Christ.  The artist has changed the position of Christ's raised arm and the position of his left leg, the black chalk under-drawing illustrating the initial stages of the design and the preliminary thoughts of the artist. Though more broadly executed in some areas than the majority of Passarotti’s more familiar drawings in pen and ink, his characteristic graphic style, with its distinctive cross hatching and anatomical interest in powerful, acrobatic forms, is evident in passages such as the strong musculature of the soldiers, seen from behind in the lower left and right parts of the composition.