Anthony van Dyck
1599-1641
The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine. Verso: Reclining Male Torso, Seen from the Back
ca. 1618-1620
6 3/16 x 9 1/4 inches (158 x 235 mm)
Pen and brown ink and wash, on laid paper; verso: pen and brown ink and wash.
I, 245a
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.
Notes
Watermark: small arrow or triangle.
Princess Catherine of Alexandria was martyred for refusing to marry Emperor Maxentius on the grounds that she had already given herself in marriage to Christ. In this impetuous pen sketch with selectively washed passages, van Dyck depicted Catherine solemnly presenting her right hand to the Christ child seated on Mary's lap. This is one of seven compositional drawings that relate to van Dyck's majestic painting of the subject at the Prado in Madrid of ca. 1618-20; it was common for the artist to use many preparatory drawings at this early stage of his career. -- Exhibition Label, from "Power and Grace: Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens"
Princess Catherine of Alexandria was martyred for refusing to marry Emperor Maxentius on the grounds that she had already given herself in marriage to Christ. In this impetuous pen sketch with selectively washed passages, van Dyck depicted Catherine solemnly presenting her right hand to the Christ child seated on Mary's lap. This is one of seven compositional drawings that relate to van Dyck's majestic painting of the subject at the Prado in Madrid of ca. 1618-20; it was common for the artist to use many preparatory drawings at this early stage of his career. -- Exhibition Label, from "Power and Grace: Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens"
Inscriptions/Markings
Inscribed, by the artist, in opposite direction, illegibly, in Flemish, in lower left corner, in brown ink, and repeated by other hands in black chalk and brown ink; at lower right, in a later hand, in graphite, "Vandick". Inscribed on verso, in Roupell's hand, in graphite, "357 Lawrence / Woodburn 18 / Bot by me at Morants 1862"; numbered, at lower right corner, "10". Inscribed on the mount, in Roupell's hand, in graphite, "A. van Dyck / "Marriage of St. Catherine." / no. 6 In the Lawrence Gallery exhib. 1835. / Norblin Coll. Morants"; in another hand, "(Bought by Mr. Roupell at Morant's sale)".
Associated names
Norblin de la Gourdaine, Jean-Pierre, 1745-1830, former owner.
Lawrence, Thomas, Sir, 1769-1830, former owner.
Woodburn, Samuel, 1785 or 1786-1853 former owner.
Morant, George J., active approximately 1860-65, former owner.
Roupell, Robert Prioleau, 1798-1886, former owner.
Riggall, Edward, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Lawrence, Thomas, Sir, 1769-1830, former owner.
Woodburn, Samuel, 1785 or 1786-1853 former owner.
Morant, George J., active approximately 1860-65, former owner.
Roupell, Robert Prioleau, 1798-1886, former owner.
Riggall, Edward, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Bibliography
Tuinen, Ilona van. Power and Grace : Drawings by Rubens, Van Dyck, and Jordaens. New York : Morgan Library & Museum, 2018, no. 7 and page 59, fig. 27 (repr.)
Stampfle, Felice, with the assistance of Ruth S. Kraemer and Jane Shoaf Turner. Netherlandish Drawings of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries and Flemish Drawings of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1991, p. 121, no. 268, repr.
Stampfle, Felice, with the assistance of Ruth S. Kraemer and Jane Shoaf Turner. Netherlandish Drawings of the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries and Flemish Drawings of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries in the Pierpont Morgan Library. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1991, p. 121, no. 268, repr.
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