Lot Essay
This drawing can be dated to 1800-1810 and is typical of Cosway's sensual treatment of religious compositions during the period. It reveals the influence of the work of Annibale Caracci and is close to the composition of Cosway's Agony in the Garden in the Fondatione Cosway, at Lodi, Italy. Numbered '51', originally the drawing was part of a book or portfolio.
The drawing is almost certainly the one mentioned by G.C. Williamson in his Catalogue of Works of Art belonging to Dr. G.C. Williamson (London, 1909), p. 55, which he bought at the sale of the collection of drawings by Cosway held at Christie's on 1st June, 1896 (lot 129 'Study for an Entombment' sold, with lot 128, for 1gn). Williamson further states that the drawings in this sale came from the collection 'bought at Milan by Lord Ronald Sutherland-Gower from the dealer in Porta Venezia who bought the whole collection from Cosway's heirs'.
The presence of a monogram signature is rare in Cosway's work.
We are grateful to Stephen Lloyd for his help in preparing this catalogue entry
The drawing is almost certainly the one mentioned by G.C. Williamson in his Catalogue of Works of Art belonging to Dr. G.C. Williamson (London, 1909), p. 55, which he bought at the sale of the collection of drawings by Cosway held at Christie's on 1st June, 1896 (lot 129 'Study for an Entombment' sold, with lot 128, for 1gn). Williamson further states that the drawings in this sale came from the collection 'bought at Milan by Lord Ronald Sutherland-Gower from the dealer in Porta Venezia who bought the whole collection from Cosway's heirs'.
The presence of a monogram signature is rare in Cosway's work.
We are grateful to Stephen Lloyd for his help in preparing this catalogue entry