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0521551331 c 01 -p 3 CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 11 , 2007 10 : 14
246 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS CATALOGUE 51While this composition does not survive in an autograph
version, it is known in two drawings, independent of, and
in reverse of, one another.A.Formerly in the Gathorne-Hardy Collection at Don-
nington Priory, sold at Sotheby’s, London, 28 April 1976 ,
lot 15 ; and at Christie’s, New York, 23 January 2005 , lot
26 ;black chalk, 325 × 221 mm (illustrated by de Tolnay,
1978 , Corpus III, p. 77 ). The complete copy of the
Entombmentis on the recto of this sheet, but the right-
hand supporting figure is tried at least twice more on the
verso,in part drawn over various ground-plans, which
either copy or reflect drawings made by Michelangelo
for San Giovanni dei Fiorentini. This sheet is sometimes
giventoJacomo del Duca, following a tentative attribu-
tion made by Dussler, who was no doubt influenced by
the fact that Jacomo employed thisEntombmentdesign in
a modified form in one of the eight reliefs on his great
bronze tabernacle, commissioned by the Farnese for the
high altar of Santa Maria degli Angeli in15 6 5, and now
in Naples, Museo Nazionale del Capodimonte. Although
this attribution cannot be ruled out, the sheet’s authorship
is less significant than its status; it seems to be a double-
sided facsimile of a lost sheet of drawings by Michelangelo
himself, no doubt made in his studio in his lifetime. For
a comparable case, see Cat. 55.
B.Amsterdam, Amsterdam Historical Museum, A- 18115 ;
black chalk,37 7× 271 mm; attributed to Giulio Clovio
(illustrated by de Tolnay, 1978 , Corpus III, p. 79 ). This
drawing, which is quite highly finished, could well be
a same-size copy of a lost Presentation Drawing by
Michelangelo. It is perhaps by an artist in the circle of
Daniele da Volterra.This composition, whose final direction is probably
that seen in the Amsterdam drawing, centres on Christ’s
body, held upright as it is carried forward (in contrast to
the National GalleryEntombmentin which the movement
is into depth). It has two bearers seen full-length in the
foreground and that on the right comes very close in
pose to the figure in the present drawing; furthermore,
their bodies are related by a common serpentine internal
movement.History
The history of this sheet and of its companions, Cats. 52
and 53 , with which it was still mounted, together with
Cats. 73 and 101 , when it was catalogued by Robin-
son, is not fully clear. If this drawing together with Cats.
52 and 53 comprised the mounting of three drawings in
Ottley’s sale catalogue of 11 April 1804 as lot 273 , “Oneditto [leaf ] containing three studies of figures, all in black
chalk, from the Buonarroti collection,” then they would
apparently have come from Casa Buonarroti, probably
but not certainly, via Wicar. However, in Ottley’s sale
beginning 6 June 1814 , the only item corresponding to
such a mounting was lot 823 , “Three on one leaf, studies
in black chalk – a figure on the back of one.” £ 6. 6. 0.
Lot 825 provides the information: “from the collection
of the Cicciaporci family of Florence to whom the con-
tents of the three above lots [i.e., including lot 823 ]for-
merly belonged.” This, therefore, would be a correction
of the earlier statement and should probably be trusted,
in which case the provenance prior to Ottley should
be Daniele da Volterra; Giacomo Rocca; The Cavaliere
d’Arpino; Filippo Cicciaporci; Bartolommeo Cavaceppi.
At Ottley’s 1814 sale this mounting was purchased by
William Roscoe; it reappeared at his sale of September
1816 as lot 59 : “Three, Studies of a Figure, in black chalk;
another figure on the reverse of one of them. From the
same Collection” (as the previous lot, i.e., Mr. Ottley’s).
It was acquired by Watson, a pseudonym of the London
bookseller William Carey, for 15 s., and presumably then
passed to Sir Thomas Lawrence (L. 2445 ) and Woodburn.
By the time of the184 2prospectus, to complicate matters,
this mounting, no. 36 , had acquired two further draw-
ings [Cats. 73 , 101 ], which were probably added to it by
Lawrence or, less likely, by Woodburn himself. In184 2
Woodburn gave the provenance for the whole ensem-
bleasthe Buonarroti family and the Chevalier Wicar. In
this he was followed by Parker and Robinson. However,
although this provenance probably is true of Cat. 73 ,itis
unlikely to be true, as we have seen, either of the trio com-
prised by the present drawing and Cats. 52 and 53 ,orof
Cat. 101 .Itseems likely that Woodburn simply transferred
the probable provenance of Cat. 73 to the whole group.References
Ottley sale?, 11 April 1804 , lot 273 (“One ditto [leaf] con-
taining three studies of figures, all in black chalk, from
the Buonarroti collection.”). Ottley sale, 6 June 1814 ,
etc. probably part of lot 823 (“Three on one leaf, stud-
ies in black chalk – a figure on the back of one” [Lot
825 adds the information: “from the collection of the
Cicciaporci family of Florence to whom the contents
of the three above lots formerly belonged, mentioned
in the preface to Condivi, Life of Michelangelo, pub-
lished in 1746 , page xviii. This collection was sold and
dispersed about 1765 , and with others purchased of the
Cav. Cavaceppi, 1792 – 3 ,bytheir present proprietor”]).
Woodburn,184 2,no. 35 (“Five very fine studies on one
Mount, three of them in black chalk.”). Woodburn,184 6,