Saint John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness

Details

PIETRO FANCELLI (BOLOGNA 1764-1850)
Saint John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness
black chalk, pen and brown ink, gray and brown wash, watermark with letter ‘H’
19 1⁄2 x 11 3⁄4 in. (48.5 x 29.7 cm)

Provenance

Société historique et littéraire polonaise, Paris; Christie’s, London, 4 July 1972, no. 29.
with Seiferheld & Co., New York.
Private collection, New York.
Frederick J. Cummings (1933-1990), New York.
with Mark Brady & Co., New York (Old Master Drawings, 1990, no. 30, ill.).

Conditions of sale

Brought to you by

Elizabeth Seigel Vice President, Specialist, Head of Private and Iconic Collections

eseigel@christies.com +1 212 484 4812

Lot Essay

The drawing is a study for the altarpiece Fancelli painted for the high altar of the Parish Church of the village of Minerbio, near Bologna. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, the original 14th Century building was rebuilt in 1732. Another sheet related to the same painting, with Saint John the Baptist preaching, was at Christie’s, London, 6 July 1993, lot 231. A large number of drawings by the artist, including the present sheet, appeared at an earlier sale in 1972 (see Provenance), lots 22-55.

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