Lot Essay
The drawing comes from an album of studies from the Beauchamp Collection: many of the drawings from this source were of Cupid and Putti, and were numbered by a contemporary hand. A comparable drawing of Angels and Putti with a Martyr's Palm and Crown was sold at Christie's, London, 20 April 1993, lot 147, illustrated, though in the latter the angels carry a Martyr's palm rather than swords and shields.