European Drawings - 1, Catalogue of the Collections

PARMIGIANINO (FrancescoMazzola)

26 Figure Study

Pen and brown ink, brown wash, and white gouache

heightening; H: 21.5 cm (8^1 A in.); W: 24.2 cm (9^9 /i6 in.)

84.GA.9

MARKS AND INSCRIPTIONS: At bottom left, collection

mark of Sir Thomas@Lawrence (L. 2445).

PROVENANCE: Sir Thomas Lawrence, London; private

collection, France; art market, Paris.

EXHIBITIONS: None.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: None.

THIS DRAWING HAS BEEN KNOWN IN THE MODERN LIT-

erature only through the etching and aquatint by Rosas-

pina.^1 As Popham has noted, the drawing was made in

preparation for the figure of Saint Jerome in Parmigi-

anino's altarpiece depicting his vision (London, National

Gallery), which was almost finished by the time the artist

left Rome in I527.^2 The Museum's sheet is one of four

drawings for the figure of Saint Jerome; the others are in

the Louvre, Paris (inv. 6423, 6447) and in the Royal Li-

brary, Windsor (inv. 883).^3 The Museum's drawing is

closest to one of the Louvre sheets^4 in terms of pose and

anatomical rendering. In both drawings the figure is

more muscular and younger than in the painting. The

Museum's sheet would appear to have been cut at the top,

especially as more of the head and arms are visible in Ro-

saspina's copy. Stylistically, the drawing reflects the art-

ist's response to the monumental ancient sculpture he

saw during his years in Rome.

1. A. E. Popham, Catalogue of the Drawings of Parmigianino
   (New Haven, 1971), no. o.R.83.


2. Ibid.


3. Ibid., nos. 402, 427, 672.


4. Ibid., no. 402.

72 ITALIAN SCHOOL • PARMIGIANINO