DOMENICO PIOLA | Christ and the Samaritan woman

Collection Santo Varni (1807-1885), Gênes ; 
Vente anonyme, Londres, Sotheby's, 21 novembre 1974 ; 
Paris, galerie Paul Prouté, 1976, n°6, repr. ; 
Acquis par échange en 1977.

Rennes, 2012, n°21 (notice par Pietro Boccardo)

Laid down. Some ink splashes/studio stains near the vase/pot in the foreground. Pen and ink and wash remains strong and vibrant. Sheet is in good condition. Sold unframed.
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Graceful, with a lyrical fluency of line, this pen and ink and wash drawing is entirely characteristic of Domenico Piola’s graphic style. Piola’s lines exhibit a considered rapidity, indicating this is a preliminary sketch. The artist has only included rudimentary details in the background in order to compose his scene, concentrating more on his two main figures. Another drawing of the same subject by Piola is the Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe of the Palazzo Rosso, Genoa. The Genoa composition is rendered with more precision and firmness of line in both the figures and the architectural elements. While there are some compositional differences, it seems extremely plausible that they are both studies for the same project, the Adrien drawing clearly preceding the Genoa sheet. Pietro Boccardo points out, in his entry in the Rennes exhibition catalogue, that the pen and brown ink inscription that appears on the lower left of the mount of the Adrien drawing is written in the same hand as the inscription on the drawing at Genoa. The writing belongs to the Genoese sculptor and collector, Santo Varni (1807-1885) who had a strong interest in drawings and saved many of the works that were produced by Casa Piola. The Palazzo Rosso own nearly 400 sheets by Piola, donated to the museum by Varni’s niece.