European Drawings - 1, Catalogue of the Collections

CARLO SARACENI

44 Allegorical Figure

Black chalk and white chalk heightening on blue-green

paper; H: 32.9 cm (i2I5/6 in.); W: 25 cm (9I3/6 in.)

83.06.263

MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: (Recto) at bottom center,

inscribed A (inverted) next to 8 in brown ink; (verso) in-

scribed Cavalero Lanfranco di mano 12 in brown ink; n 39

in black ink.

PROVENANCE: Art market, New York; art market,

Boston.

EXHIBITIONS: None.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: K. Oberhuber, "A Saraceni Study,"

Burlington Magazine 127, no. 992 (November 1985),

p. 785-

THIS DRAWING WAS FIRST RECOGNIZED AS A STUD

for an allegorical figure in the Sala Regia, Palazzo Quir

nale, Rome, by Oberhuber (1985)-^1 The seated allegor

of papal authority was painted by Saraceni in 1616. In th

fresco she is shown in a more elaborate costume than th

one she wears in the drawing, suggesting that the latte

was based on a studio model. The drapery study at th

upper right was used for the fresco, superseding the co

responding detail in the drawing of the entire figure. A

Oberhuber has noted, the drapery was used again for th

pendant frescoed allegorical image in reverse, witho

reference to the corrective detailed study at the uppe

right of the sheet.

This appears to be the only drawing that can be a

tributed to Saraceni with certainty at this time and is

significant addition to our knowledge of drawing pra

tice among the followers of Caravaggio.

i. He refers to the old mat, which apparently related the dra

ing to the Sala Regia. Unfortunately, the sheet was not attache

to the mat when it was acquired by the Museum in 1983.

Y

i-

y

e

e

r

e

r-

s

e

ut

r

t-

a

c-

w-

d

110 ITALIAN SCHOOL • SARACENI