Venus and Cupid

The attribution to Jacob Matham was confirmed by Dr. Léna Widerkehr on the basis of a photograph. Dr. Widerkehr dates the drawing to circa 1602 by comparison to a drawing of that year depicting Venus disrobed by Nymphs in the presence of Mars (L. Widerkehr, 'Jacob Matham, un épigone Haarlémois et ses rapports avec l'art de la cour de Rodolphe II', Umen, 1998, 46, p. 200, fig. 2.). The drawing is also similar to a drawing of Jupiter and Danaë sold in these Rooms, 24 January 2001, lot 153.
We are grateful to Dr. Léna Widerkehr and Dr. Hans-Ulrich Beck for their help in cataloguing this lot.