Follower of Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, called Il Sodoma, Italian 1477-1549-...

Follower of Giovanni Antonio Bazzi, called Il Sodoma,
Italian 1477-1549-

Two Benedictine Abbots healing a plagued man;

black chalk and brown wash on laid paper, 44.8 x 58.5 cm., (unframed).

Provenance:
Private Collection, UK.

Note:
Drawn in the style of Sodoma’s frescoes on the Life of Saint Benedict in The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, the present work depicts two Benedictine abbots curing the leg of a man afflicted by the plague. One abbot holds a healing leaf to the inner thigh of the patient, while a woman removes his footwear. Various men surrounding this scene are dressed in Roman attire while others are in contemporary clothing, including the standing nobleman on the left and the praying man at right. The balanced composition is reminiscent of Sodoma’s frescoes at Monte Oliveto Maggiore and certain figures relate closely.