A battle between warriors and a unicorn

Previously associated with Giulio Romano and Perino del Vaga, this sheet was attributed to Salviati many years ago by Professor Paul Joannides in an annotation on the mount. While the drawing is now hard to read due to its extensive tears and losses, the technique in which it is made is entirely characteristic of Salviati's drawings. The fine but confidently drawn contours in pen and brown ink in combination with wash and delicately applied strokes of white heightening can be seen, for example, in Salviati's drawing of a Lamentation in the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto (inv. 81/4) and in one in the Albertina (inv. 491), showing a Roman triumph with in the centre a horse that is close to the unicorn in the present sheet (L. Mortari, Francesco Salviati, Rome, 1992, nos. 547 and 558, ill.). The size and format of the drawing suggest that it was made in preparation for a small relief, perhaps in rock crystal, or in metal - silver or bronze – to be set into a casket or piece of furniture. Several drawings made with this purpose by Perino are known, which may account for the earlier attribution to him of the present drawing.

We are grateful to Professor Paul Joannides for his assistance in cataloguing this drawing and for suggesting the attribution to Francesco Salviati.