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Lot Essay
This monumental sheet has a well-documented provenance from the time it was owned by the Domenican friar and polymath Egnazio Danti, who became acquaintances with Passarotti during his stay in Bologna between 1576 and 1580, when he lectured at the university on geometry and astronomy. At that time, in 1577, Passarotti painted an engaging portrait of Danti in the act of teaching (Brest, Musée Municipal, inv. 981.14.1). As stated by Passarotti’s first biographer, Vincenzo Borghini, Danti owned the drawing, together with its pendant with Christ wearing the crown of thorns, now in the Princeton University Art Museum (inv. 1999-1; see Giles, Markey and Van Cleave, op. cit., no. 43, ill.); Borghini describes the two heads as ‘finite in tutta perfettione con la penna’ (op. cit.). It is not known if the drawings were commissioned by Danti or if they were rather a gift from Passarotti to his friend. It has been suggested that the two images were once drawn on a single large sheet, described by Borghini as a foglio imperiale (circa 50 x 74 cm), and only later cut in half (see Ghirardi, op. cit., 2007, p. 128).
The highly finished representation of the Virgin is an extraordinary example of disegno finito, a kind of independent drawing produced by Passarotti and highly sought after by collectors’ in his own time (see Bohn, op. cit., pp. 52-79). Next to the Virgin’s head are drawn two halves of a medallion with the scene of the Annunciation. Similar scenes inscribed within half medallions are seen in three largev sheets with profiles of Roman emperors now in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (inv. 1346-1348; see Höper, op. cit., II, pp. 187-188, ill.). The inclusion of the medallion may be related to Passarotti’s interest in antiquities, of which he was an avid collector.
The highly finished representation of the Virgin is an extraordinary example of disegno finito, a kind of independent drawing produced by Passarotti and highly sought after by collectors’ in his own time (see Bohn, op. cit., pp. 52-79). Next to the Virgin’s head are drawn two halves of a medallion with the scene of the Annunciation. Similar scenes inscribed within half medallions are seen in three largev sheets with profiles of Roman emperors now in the Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (inv. 1346-1348; see Höper, op. cit., II, pp. 187-188, ill.). The inclusion of the medallion may be related to Passarotti’s interest in antiquities, of which he was an avid collector.