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Design for Decoration of a Wall above a Fireplace and Two Doors, with Figures in a Garden (Garden of Love?)

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Attributed to Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli
approximately 1500-1569

Design for Decoration of a Wall above a Fireplace and Two Doors, with Figures in a Garden (Garden of Love?)

late 16th century
6 9/16 x 10 7/8 inches (166 x 273 mm)
Pen and dark brown ink, light brown wash, over black chalk and stylus indentations, on textured, light brown paper. Laid down on Richardson Senior (?) mount.
IV, 49

Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.

Notes
Watermark: none visible through lining.
Formerly attributed to Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Viadana ca. 1500-1569 Parma.
Description

The drawing seems to depict a Garden of Love, with Cupid atop the fireplace shooting arrows, figures embracing female trees/caryatids at left (Apollo and Daphne?), and seated couples in the foreground. In Richardson’s day the drawing was given to Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, disciple of Parmigianino and husband of the latter’s cousin. This attribution was subsequently rejected, and the drawing reclassified as anonymous, before Mary Vaccaro argued that the drawing again should be given to Bedoli. See Vaccaro, "Collaborazione nella Bottega dei Mazzola Bedoli, disegni tra padre e figlio," Aurea Parma  II-III May-December 2018: 185-215.

Inscriptions/Markings
Inscribed on mount, at lower center, beneath drawing, in pen and brown ink, "Girolamo Mazzuoli"; above this, in graphite, "Parmegianino"; on verso of mount, in pen and brown ink, by Richardson or an amanuensis, "Girolamo Mazzuoli was either Brother or Cozin of Francesco, & painted with him, / & finished what He left of the Church of the Virgin of the Steccata at Parma, / after his Death, of which the Present Drawing is One Study, in order to unite with / so many Others of the "Same Form."; on verso of mount, in lower right corner, in red chalk, "745".
Associated names
Parmigianino, 1503-1540, Formerly attributed to.
Anonymous, Italian School, 16th cent., Formerly attributed to.
Richardson, Jonathan, 1665-1745, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943, former owner.
Bibliography
Selected references: Fairfax Murray 1905-12, 4: no. 49 (as Parmigianino).
Collection J. Pierpont Morgan : Drawings by the Old Masters Formed by C. Fairfax Murray. London : Privately printed, 1905-1912, IV, 49, repr. (as Parmigianino)
Artist
Mazzola Bedoli, Girolamo
Classification
Drawing
Century Drawings
16th century
School
Italian
Catalog link
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Department
Drawings and Prints