GIOVANNI FRANCESCO BARBIERI, CALLED GUERCINO | A FLYING PUTTO HOLDING A BASKET WITH FLOWERS

GIOVANNI FRANCESCO BARBIERI, CALLED GUERCINO
Cento 1591 - 1666 Bologna
A FLYING PUTTO HOLDING A BASKET WITH FLOWERS

Black chalk and stumping;
bears indinstinct old inscription in pen and brown ink, verso: dessin de....;
on the mount bears pencil annotation by Sir Denis Mahon: 'This drawing seems to me on stylistic grounds to date from the mid sixteen-forties./Rather analogous putti can be found in the upper part of the "Sante Geltrude e Lucrezia" painted in 1645 and now in the Galleria Sabauda at Torino (illustrated in Luigi Salerno's "Dipinti del Guercino", p. 299, no. 225)./ Denis Mahon 2001'
158 by 194 mm; 6¼ by 7¾ in

Condition Report:
Hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Very light foxing throughout. Tiny nicks and tears at the right margin. The pen and ink inscription on the verso is slightly perceptable on the recto. Surface dirt. Top margin repaired and some very small repairs at the top of the sheet on
Black chalk still strong and vibrant.
Sold mounted but unframed.

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Provenance:
Sir James Knowles, his sale, London, Christie's, 27-29 May 1908;

Michael Gaud, St. Tropez;

sale, London, Sotheby's Olympia, 13 December 2001, lot 44 (as Attributed to Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called il Guercino);

London, Private Collection