CESARE NEBBIA | Study of female allegorical figure in profile

Acquis à Saint-Ouen en 1979

Rennes, 2012, n°8 (notice par Rhoda Eitel-Porter)

Hinged to the mount with adhesive tabs. The upper left section is made up. Light brown staining, most visible at the lower section of the sheet. An ink stain in the lower left corner, possibly a studio stain. Surface dirt. Overalll medium is strong and vibrant. Sold unframed.
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This confident study is preparatory for one of the two female allegorical figures that flank the coat of arms of Pope Sixtus V on a frescoed lunette situated at the end of the Oriental loggia in the Lateran Palace, Rome (fig.1). The drawing is not only aesthetically pleasing, but also marks a particularly prolific moment in Nebbia's career, the end of the 1580s, a time when he was masterfully co-ordinating many of the principal fresco decorations in Rome and producing some of his most celebrated work.

Born in Orvieto, Nebbia was very much influenced by the Zuccari brothers, Taddeo and Federico, and also by Girolamo Muziano, with whom he collaborated on many of the important decorative projects of late 16th century Rome.

The Lateran Palace fresco cycle was commissioned during the pontificate of Sixtus V (1585-1590) when Nebbia was working closely with Guerra. Nebbia supervised all the major cycles and projects and was in charge of a core group of painters who fulfilled many of his designs. The frescoed lunette based on this drawing has been attributed to Lattanzio Mainardi (active 16th Century).

Nebbia's preparatory study is fairly close to the final decoration, except that the figure's left hand, visible in the drawing, is concealed behind the coat of arms in the fresco. The sheet is carefully squared for transfer in red chalk, which reinforces its status as a working drawing.