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Head of a Woman with Veil, Looking Downward

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Italian School
16th century

Head of a Woman with Veil, Looking Downward

late 16th century
4 9/16 x 4 5/16 inches (116 x 110 mm)
Pen and brown ink on paper; laid down on Richardson mount.
1989.72

Gift of Janos Scholz.

Notes
Watermark: none visible through lining.
Acquired as Giovanni de Vecchi.
Formerly attributed to Giovanni de' Vecchi (1536-1615); Antonio Cimatori, called il Visaccio (ca. 1550-1623); Bernardino India (1528-1590).
Description

The drawing bears an old attribution to Giovanni de’ Vecchi, though this has received little acceptance. Alternative proposals have varied. The spare lines and facial type, featuring heavy eyelids and a long neck, are reminiscent of the draftsmanship of Barocci followers such as Antonio Cimatori, called il Visaccio, a suggestion made by Julien Stock (unpublished opinion recorded in curatorial file, 2004) and supported by Catherine Monbeig Goguel (email to Morgan curators, 2005). An alternate suggestion to Bernardino India or another Veronese artist was made by Anna Forlani Tempesti (unpublished opinion recorded in curatorial file, 2003). On the other hand, Nicola Knorn-Ezernieks accepts the traditional ascription to de’ Vecchi and compares the present study to similar female figures in his painted works, for instance, the Virgin in his Pietà, now in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan (email to Morgan curators, 2010).1

Footnotes:

  1. Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan, inv. 4707. See also Knorn-Ezernieks 2013.
Inscriptions/Markings
Inscribed at lower right, in pen and brown ink, with Resta-Somers number, "m.54;" on mount, at lower center, in pen and brown ink, "Gio: de Vecchi da Borgo;" at upper left, in pen and brown ink, "ap. 67. No 7;" on verso of mount, at upper center, in pen and red ink, "P.2;" in upper right corner, in pen and brown ink, "6;" at upper center, in pen and brown ink, with Richardsons's pressmark, "RR. 28.;" in pen and black ink, "From the Leveson Gerver Collection; 229.b.(or 6) / Portf. 4."
Associated names
Vecchi, Giovanni de', approximately 1536-1615, Formerly attributed to.
Cimatori, Antonio, approximately 1550-1623, Possible attribution.
India, Bernardino, 1528-1590, Alternate attribution.
Resta, Sebastiano, former owner.
Somers, John Somers, Baron, 1651-1716, former owner.
Richardson, Jonathan, 1665-1745, former owner.
Gower family, former owner.
Scholz, János, former owner.
Bibliography
Selected references: Oakland and Berkeley 1961, no. 99 (as Giovanni dei Vecchi).
Artist
Italian School
Classification
Drawing
Century Drawings
16th century
School
Italian
Catalog link
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Department
Drawings and Prints