Sir Denis Mahon has kindly confirmed the attribution and points out that the drawing dates from before Guercino's trip to Rome in 1621. Presumably the drawing is a study for a print that was never executed. The subject is an allegorical depiction of the Paragone: the argument between sculptors and painters as to the superiority of their respective arts. The blind man in this drawing can feel the sculpture, but cannot see the painting. The handling and the figure types of the Ashmolean Tavern Scene of before 1621 (N. Turner and C. Plazzotta, Drawings by Guercino from British Collections, London, 1991, no. 185, pl. 25), which also includes a similar inscription, are comparable to those of the present study