Lot 53: FRANCESCO VANNI (attr.) Sainted Bishop

FRANCESCO VANNI (attr.)
Sainted Bishop
Brown ink and watercolour on black pencil base

This drawing, of outstanding quality, is of both difficult attribution and complex stylistic analysis because it belongs to the turn of the 16th century, which was one of the most productive periods in the history of drawing in Tuscany, at a time when Mannerism was veering towards the early Baroque and producing some extremely interesting examples of cultural syncretism, such as this sainted archbishop being accompanied to heaven by two angels and a cloud of cherubs. The town with its towers and walls beneath him is difficult to identify. The draughtsmanship is clear and meticulous, showing no hesitation in the depiction of faces, drapery or even minute details. In our view, it closely echoes the style of Francesco Vanni, several of whose surviving preparatory drawings for altarpieces – this is also undoubtedly such a work – are finished to a similarly high degree. One might mention, for purposes of comparison, a Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine and a Madonna and Child both in the Uffizi's Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe (inv. 1693E and 1292F), in which the draughtsmanship shares a number of features with our study. The same style, however, may also be found in the work of other artists of outstanding quality who were contemporary with Vanni, such as Pietro Sorri, Aurelio Lomi, Agostino Ciampelli and Andrea Commodi.
270 x 219 mm

270 x 219 mm

Brown ink and watercolour on black pencil base