Workshop of Jacopo Robusti, called Il Tintoretto

The sheet has been laid down on a thin card backing, which has in turn been hinged to a modern mount. The sheet has discoloured somewhat and there are some losses to the extremities, in particular to the lower and right edges. There are a number of abrasions and old scratches to the sheet and evidence of surface dirt and minor staining throughout. The black chalk medium is somewhat rubbed in places, however the image remains reasonably strong. Sold in a modern giltwood 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 charcoal study is related to the head of Giuliano de' Medici, after Michelangelo's Medici tombs, of which at least eighteen studies are known by Jacopo Tintoretto (1518/19-1594) and his studio.¹  Jacopo Tintoretto was fascinated by Michelangelo's commemorative and allegorical sculptures in the Medici Chapel of San Lorenzo.  According to Vasari, already in 1557 Tintoretto, obtained from Daniele da Volterra models from Michelangelo's sculptures, although it appears that he owned some since the 1540s.  These models were used by Tintoretto and his pupils in the process of learning and experimenting with light in the modeling of forms.  Often, they were drawn by lamplight, as the biographer Carlo Ridolfi recorded.²  The head in the present sheet is a study of the model almost in profile, and the artist emphasises, with the subtle use of light, the solidity of the sculpted forms.  The drawing is characterized by the vigorous use of the charcoal, to create a powerful image that fills the entirety of the sheet. ^1. C. Whistler, Drawing in Venice. Titian to Canaletto, exhib. cat., Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, 2015-2016, pp. 132-133, nos. 51-52, reproduced

^2. C. Ridolfi, Le meraviglie dell'Arte, 2nd edition, Padua 1837, vol. II, p. 175